THE PIG INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 46, 18 November 1926, Page 6

THE PIG INDUSTRY

NEW ZEALAND’S GREAT OPPORTUNITY FARMING SHOULD BE MORE INTENSIVE Dominion Special. Auckland, November 17. That New Zealand has a tulure m the development of the pig industry was the view expressed by Mr. IJ. Jones, M.R., chairman of the Meat Producers’ Board and Mr. R. 8. Forsyth, the Loudon manager, at a meeting of larmers at the Chamber of Commerce to-day. The great business in pork which had been built up in Denmark was quoted as an example by Mr. Jones who said that the Danes were at piesent growing twelve pigs to every cow. New Zealand by comparison had a quarter pig to every cow. If we had as many pigs per cow as Denmark it would mean the Dominion could sell ten million pounds worth of pork every year, a by no means imjiossible figure. The most sinful thing going on i nNew Zealand to-day said Mr. Jones is the enormous quantity of skim milk that goes to waste every j;ear. He was glad to know that the killing of pigs was going on apace in Auckland but great strides ought to be made in the immediate future. Experiments were being carried on at Lincoln College which would probably result in some useful advice being prepared for farmers With respect to pig feeding in Canterbury large quantifies of grain were used for this purpose, but the expense of transport would render profitable feeding very difficult The Bay of Plenty district ought to be a source of assistance in this matter. In future what was needed was intensive farming and the growing of feed products on the farm itself. Contrary to a prevalent opinion there was really ery little difference in the casts of getting pig products from Denmark and New Zealand to England and this fact should open up a' tremendous opportunity for the Dominion. Mr. Jones’s advocacy was supported by Mr. Forsyth who stated that last year Great Britain spent no less than J850,000.000 with foreigners on pork and pig products exclusive of purchases from Empire producers. That was an enormous trade of which we should have a much'larger percentage. Curers had a very good opinion of New Zealand pork and the speaker could testify that the quality was much higher than that of some shipments he had seen landed in London from America Mr. Forsyh said the 'Meat Producers’ Board on one occasion sent, him a number of carceses for distribution to popularise New Zealand pork in England and Ireland Ever since lie had been deluged with letters asking him where further supplies could be purchased. A great onportunitv had recently opened in Britain if New Zealand wa« serious about entering this market. Tim British Government bad “topped all Dutch supplies from entering tlie country owing to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Holland. The embargo meant that 50.000 tons of nork which had previously come from Holland had to be o'-tainVd elsewhere. Tt was true that the Dutch producers were era'h’nllv over coming, the handicap by erecting Lacon factories all over the country, but while the price of l>acon had consennentlv dropped from 2d -to 3d per lb pork had advanced as much.