THE PROBLEM OF PIG GRADING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 128, 16 June 1937, Page 7

THE PROBLEM OF PIG GRADING

— Praag Assoolation.) «

• ' - " Part of Plan to Assist Industry NEED RECOGNISED

(Bv Telepraph

PALMERSTON, N., This Day. - For some eonsiderable time the pig jindustry in New Zealand has been askJing for a eyatem of grading to be sqt j up by .the Government. So f ar the response has been a negative one, but hopes may be encouraged from remarks on* the subject passed by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. W. Lee Martin, when opening the Winter Show last evening, "With pigs, es with other projecte, developjnent bring problems on the farm; in trade, and in national policy," he eaid. "For ,thia reason, at the request of the New Zealand Pig Breeders ' Association, my department, some timo ago, instituted a national service of pedigree sow recording, and at the present time we are considering th# ques* tion of grading. * 'Both thgse services are integral parts of the plan for asslsting the industry and failure to put them iato successful practice could easily cancel out the good results that mlght arise from the instructionai levy or other improvoment Plana." The Minister referred to the phenomenal growth, of the pig industry, in the short space of twelve years it had developed from an export of about 5000 carcases to one of about 700,000 carcases, and there was no reason why that flgure ahould not increase to at least 2,000,000 carcases, provided the industry expanded on sound and' orderly lines, From a national viewpoint few de> velopments could be sounder. Efficienl pig management could add 3d per pound to tbe butter-fat pay-out of the dairy farmer, who at the present time derived not much moro than one penny per pound from pigs. In Denmark, where the industry was much more highly developed than it was in New Zealand, the bacon exports helped to ease the positiou of the dairy farmer during the recent period of calamitous prices, and he was glad to see that New Zealand wa# also making rapid advances in this valuable branch of the farming ■industry. However, the development of the industry had brought national problems in ite train, and the Government was about to meet those problems before they got out of hand. It was for the .purpose ' oi providing an orderly and sound expansion of the industry that Cabinet approved of the suggestion that a levy of 2d per pig should be imposed on all pigs slaughtered. The purpose of the levy was to provide an instructional and advisory service for the in. , dustry. This service wouldf help the farmer in general management questions, such as the elimination of wastt and losses, the wintering of pigs, th« construction and lay-out of sties, and breeding. There was no doubt that sucoess and the apprecintion of the factors that made for success had their foundations in the enlightenment which came from scientidcally based instruction. It was to tlie credit of the producera themselves that they had for some years asked for some deflnite action to be taken, and the Government now hoped that it would be able to help them not only to solve their own individual problems, but also to improve the quality of ,their product. Recently a meeting was held of those interested in grading, and a committee had been elected that would recommend regulations and standards to enable grading to be carried out. It was hoped by grading to recompense those producers who were trying to improve the quality of pig meats and to establish uniformity in exports to the British raarket. It was the buver who had the last say and in a highly competrltivo market like the ITnited Kingdom, New Zealand must place before the buyer a product of nniform quality which compared. favourably with that marketed, by rivals. " What we have accomplish-: ed with mutton and lamb, we can also, accomplish with pigs," added Mr. Lec Martin. i