More Feed, More Pigs; More Pigs, More Meat

Chronicle (Levin), 10 May 1949, Page 5

More Feed, More Pigs; More Pigs, More Meat

(N.Z.P.A.-

— Reuter,

, Coyyright)

Received Monday, 7 p.m.- • LONDON, May 9. The National Farmers' Union of England and Wales which for some tinie has expressed mounting dissatis*' faction with the supplies of imported feeding stufTs being made available to British farmers, has now submitted to . the Ministry of Agriculture a detailed plan which, it elaims. could lead to a 25 per cent. increase in the British meat ration within a comparatively short time, provided that the Government will agree to the annual importation of an extra 2,250,000 tons of feeding stuffs. This extra quantity, the union contcnds, if fed to pigs, would result in an additional annual production of 4,500,000 cwt. of pig meat by 1951 and inake it possible to increase the weekly meat ration by three ounces a head. Representatives of the Farmers' Union submitted details of the plan to the Ministry of Agriculture this week and the details are now being examined by the Government departments eon cerned, including the Ministry of Foou and the Treasury. Details of the plan were also submitted to the Parliamentary Secretary tc the Ministry of Food, Dr. Edith Sum merskill, when she attended the annuai luncli oi' the National Pig BreedersAssociation. Sir James Turner, president of the National Farmers' Union, who put forward the proposal, said that in the opinion of British farmers, a rigid economic poliey should not be allowed to prevent the purchase of extra feeding stuffs if, by making such puichases, the pitifully small meat ration could quickly be supplemented. Sir Thomas Dudgale, M.P., who supported Sir James Turner, suggested to Dr. Summerskill tliat the Government should reduee the present wheat extractiou rate from S5 to 70 per cent. By so doing it would provide farmers with 1,000,000 tons of wheat offals suitablo for pig feed. Dr. Summerskill said that the purchase of extra feeding stuffs would cosl dollars but there was the possibility that increased world grain production would lead to a l'all in prices which, in tuni, would mean that larger quantities of feeding stuffs could be bought abroad. At the present time the British Government is buying about 2,250,000 tons of animal feeding stuffs overseas so 'tliat the Farmers' Union plan entails approximately doubling the present pur-. chases. Last year the Argentine, which is Britain's largest supplier of feeding stuffs, sent a little more than 1,000,000 tons, Russia supplied another 750,000 tons and the remaander came' from various parts of Europe and Asia and from Australia. - — ■ ;