PRICE OF PORK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 40, 14 January 1944, Page 5

PRICE OF PORK

HALF PRICE FOR OVERWEIGHTS

PENALTY GROSSLY UNFAIR Who gets the rake-off for over--weight pigs which when received into the works realise for the farm-er-producer less than half the price payable on pigs within the limit (1801bs). Many farmers, in this district have asked themselves this •question in view of the uniform price chargeable on all- pig meats placed on the market. Surely somebody or .some organisation is reaping a rich harvest at the farmers expense and it would be interesting to have a little more information •on the subject which has become, a very sore point Avith pig farmers •and. dairymen of this district generally. Local Case A case in point was brought to our notice last Tuesday by Mr V . W. Newton, of Thornton,, who recently sent three pigs away in answer to the Government's appeal for greater pig-meat production. One pig weighed 1701bs, and was paid for at the uniform rate of per lb., realising £4 8s 6d. The other two tipped the scales at 187 and 1831bs. respectively, but on account of their being overweight fetched only 3d per lb,, or a total realisation for -two pigs of £4. 12s 6d—less than half the price of the pig within the lim-1 it. In the mind of the farmer this is an unduly heavy penalty to in-! flict on a man who is endeavouring to answer the country's appeal and who by a slight miscalculation exceeds the limit by a tew lbs. It is almost impossible to tell the weights of marketable, pigs with certainty before they arc scaled, and what may appear to be a batch of hcal'thy-looking pigs all within the limit weight, turns out in the majority of cases to be slightly in excess. Should the farmer, then for this comparatively small oversight be deprived of half his marketable price. The whole thing is unfair sis it is discouraging to the pig industry generally. Who Reaps the Benefit • The. most pertinent query however' is one which naturally arises in the farmer's mind, and concerns the final marketing value of •lti.9 pigs which have: only netted him half nates. He sees no over weigljj ■pork or ham which Ls rated at half price on account of overweight. The pri-ce from the works for the finished pigs meats is stabilised, and whether they were accepted, as overweights or otherwise the same prices rule. There must be,, reasons the farmer, a very substantial internal profit, which, the farmer certainly does not see! Who then benefits at his expense? These are reasonable deductions which probably occur to all producers of pigs who miss the •limit by a pound or two and who thereupon receive loss than half the revenue they anticipated. The fairest way they claim would be to pay up to the limit weight, where the animal is within reasonable distance of the required standard, and to ig..nore the few lbs excess. In this way the culture of pig husbhndry would be fostered and encouraged, instead of being slowly stilled at the country's expense,, and at a time when there is. urgent need for all types of pig products.

Undermining Industry As avc have, been informed i'arm- ■ ers in. this district have time and time again been heavily penalised in this connection and feel that with a* little adjustment the industry could be stabilised by a fairer basis of payment to the producer, iff however farmers are to go on being penalised in this way, they -claim that the industry will automatically decline in spite of the appeals and the national need.