PIG PRICES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 41, 18 January 1944, Page 5

PIG PRICES

SEQUEL TO QUERY

FARMERS TNTKRESTS CONSERVED

The recent interview with a • district farmer with regard to "the ruling prices for pork and . the penalty for to Which the BEACON recently gave prominence has resulted in information on the subject being forthcoming from the marketing interests. The matter with regard" to the overweight pigs -appears to have been founded on incorrect figures as supplied by our interviewer (no doubt in perfectly good faith) who omitted to mention the 101b tolerance which is allowed to cover excess poundage, We have discussed 1 the matter fully with Mr C. R. Wilson, chairman of the Rangitaiki branch of the N.Z. Co-op. Pig Marketing Asr sociation. ''The position as regards cver•weight pigs from a farmers point -of vjtew is far better than was the -ease before the appeal for more pig meat was made," said l Mr Wil-t -son. "The regulations -this year place the minimum top weight for prime bacon pigs at 1701bs. The price for this class* for the main part of the -season is 6%d per lb. From Ist -June to the 30th September the % price was 7 3 /4 d per lb and for the -month of October it was 7d per lb. To assist producers who were unfortunate enough to finish pigs over ITOlbs, between that weight and 180 lbs the price, has only been 2d per lb less than for prime baconers the whole of the period. Alt pigs then over 1801bs being classed as choppers are paid chopper price which has been raised this season to 3d per lb * Under the old exporting system it ;should be clearly understood that -only pigs up to 1601bs were exported, as anything over that weight is -considered, unsuitable, for consumption as prime bacon. Supply to Armed Forces Mr Wilson continued that he was particularly keen that farmers in this district should understand the position in order that they could -co-operate, with the marketing interests in meeting the country's comjnitmcnts and also in maintaining -a satisfactory return to themselves. Tlie whole of our "export bacon" •Is now used by the armed, forces, the Americans being our biggest customers. When the -contracts were being made with these" clients, they •did not desire the heavier type of bacon, but on account of the difficulty to supply tlie quantity without producing heavier weights they -agreed to co-operate. The heavy type is not popular on the local market and a good example can be taken from a local producer who cured an overweight pig and returned it to the factory asking if they cohild dispose of it as he did- not care for it so coarse and fat. No Rake-off ''The main question that needs '•clarifying/' sai( '. Mr Wilson, "iswhat happens to the pigs over ISOlbsi? According .to the regulations they ■definitely are not processed into bacon, but go. towards making up the many classes of smalhgoods. such as sausages, ctc." There are, he instances •of where an unscrupulous company liaxl taken the advantage of accept-, ing overweight pigs, paid for as baconers, and trimming ' tlie surpluses had sent them to our forces overseas. Sucli a practice ■could only be condemned by every **ight-thinking person, for there would be few who would be. prepared, to send to our fighting men, pig meats which the ordinary public regarded as unfit to cat. The Thornton Case The complaint raised by Mr F. W. Newton concerned three pigs which were consigned by the P.M.A. buying agent. The pigs were sent to the. Kiwi Bacon Company a subsidiary co-operative company of the P.M.A. It was treated, said Mr . Wilson in the normal way afforded to all supplies; 6%d was paid on the 1701b pig, this is only an advance payment under the P.M.A.Ss cooperative consignment schedule. It had been the policy of the association (being co-operative) to pay an .advance of 3 ;*> d per lb less than uniform rate and at the end of the season to pay the linal payment together with a shareholders bonus. .For example last season when the uniform rate was 6%d the P.M.A.

made, an advance of 6d and the final payment together with 1/8 share bonus, totalled. 7/8. _ With regard to the 187-18311) pigs the same rule, applies,, the 3d per lb only being an advance payment. On this class of pig meat last season the final payment only, was the same as the final payment on prime bacon. It is worth mentioning that the heavier the minimum for bacon pigs the greater the chances of trouble, with overweight pigs. The reason being that the producer making the. effort to get profitable weighty combined with the fact that the heavier the. pig gets the quic'ker he puts the weight on. To Protect Farmers The ceiling weight was lixed, said Mr Wilson, in order to protect farmers themselves under the co-opera-system,, to consolidate the industry and to maintain a uniform standard of production. He made no attempt to disguise the difficulties of farmers who are endeavouring to meet the Government's ap-* peal, but suggests that they could profitably devote a little more time to the studying of the P.M.A. literature in order to make themselves conversant, with the requirements of the market. "f am pleased that this controversy has arisen," he said in conclusioiv, ''for I realise that the more publicity given to the subject the greater will be the knowledge of the farmer-sup-pliers' and the more uniform will be the type of pigs supplied to our abat tolis."