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Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1929, Page 4

The mention made the other day at the local dairy factory meeting in respect to giving the bacon industry a try out in this district, lias caused, a general discussion of the subject. Pig-raising, assuming' there is a market for the product, is a profitable adjunct of dairying, and with dairy-farming increasing in volume in Westland, the establishment of a bacon factory—so often spoken of in the past, might well take definite shape. There are facilities hero which di<l not exist previously, and the venture could have a start, which the promoters of other days never dreamt of. With a public abattoir for killing, and a freezing chamber at hand for chilling—both already in daily operation—there are two essentials counting towards practical results. The factory could by arrangement, be built adjacent to the local dairy factory, and for a modest and moderate capital, the enterprise would become a reality. If a bacon factory were established here, growers would find prices for pork better stabilised than at present. With the freezing chamber available for storage, markets could he ganged to better effect, and the upshot would be greatly enhanced returns on the year’s turn-over for the dairy farmer. If the venture were to take shape more attention would be turned to pasturage and the production of the best bacon pigs. There is no reason why “prime Westland” in bacon should not have a. vogue, not only in this district, but further afield. The wider the market, the more stable the demand, and quality a.lways commands the business. The Agricultural lecturers who have passed this way. have given the settlers much useful advice about the realisation of profitable returns from pigs, and there is the feeling that pig-rearing can be made a very profitable adjunct to the annual returns from the land. There must Ik? a good deal of country on many of the farms—rough country—which the pigs would assist to bring into better cultivation, so that in.that respect they would be serving a double purpose. From what can he gathered, something is likely to he done in this matter before long. A timely move now and manv settlers would be ready to cooperate. By utilising existing forces and providing extra capital to a nominni amount, the industry coukl be established, and once afoot, wo believe it- would flourish.