Bay Of Plenty Young Farmers’ Clubs’ Annual Porker Competition

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 31, 19 March 1948, Page 5

Bay Of Plenty Young Farmers’ Clubs’ Annual Porker Competition

Field days for the judging “on the hoofs” of entries in the Bay of Plenty Y.F.C. Porker Competition in the Eastern Bay district were held at Opotiki in the morning, Waimana in the afternoon, Monday, March 8, and at Edgecumbe for Rangitaiki Clubs on March 9. Keener interest was shown in this year’s competition and an increase in the numbers and a general improvement in the quality of entries were features of the field days. Marking, weighing and judging of pigs were followed by an interested bench of Y.F.C. members.

The judge for the whole circuit of “on the hoof” field days is Mr A. F. Barwell, Supervisor, Bay of Plenty District Pig Council, with Mr J. Dewhurst of Pukekohe as associate judge. Pigs from each field day were afterwards railed to Auckland Farmers Freezing ’Co. works at Horotiu where they will be judged “on the hooks” in competition with all pigs from the competition area. This includes Eastern Bay, Western Bay, and Rotorua districts. To the clubs from which the winning entry has come the A.F.F. Co. shield will be presented. The shield is a splendid trophy donated for annual competition by A.F.F. Co. and will be on display at each of the field days. To the winning entry from each of the above districts the Bay of Plenty Council will be presenting a miniature cup. The object of holding the “on the hoof” field days is to enable Y.F.C. members to compare the entries “on the hoof” and later “on the hooks” at the works and thereby find out where the faults and weaknesses are in their own pigs.

% The main object of the whole competition is to stimulate, the interest of young farmers in the breeding and feeding of pigs in order that a higher standard of grading and conformation may be attained. For New Zealand to attain an assured market overseas for her pig-meats it is vital that her products be of a high and uniform • standard. From this it can readily be seen that the Bay of Plenty Y.F.C. porker competition can play an important part, in the years to come, in the building up of a product of national importance.

During the next fortnight, “on the hoof” field days, will be conducted in the Western Bay and Rotorua district and improvement over last year in numbers and quality is confidently expected. Following are the results of the “on the hoof” competitions of the Eastern Bay field days:— Opotiki Y.F.C. 20 entries: L. Black I, J. Summers 2, L. Black 3. Waimama Y.F.C. 8 entries: J. White 1, W. Payne 1, D. Woolfield 3. Rangitaiki Y.F.C. 20 entries (Awakeri Club 13 entries; Thornton 4 entries; Otakiri 2 entries; Whakatane D.H.S. 1 entry): D. Martin, Awakeri Club 1, B. Wilson, Awakeri Club 2, J. Goile, Thornton Club 3.