THE BACON INDUSTRY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4932, 29 January 1926, Page 4

THE BACON INDUSTRY.

VALUE OF PROPER FEEDING Amongst the farmers in the country surrouning Palmerston North the pig-rearing industry plays its part, and the district is considered to be an exceptionally good one for this purpose by those whose experience in the buying, killing and curing of pigs fits them to express an opinion. During the past few months the Christmas demand for hams resulted in the farmers receiving unusually high prices for their swine, as much as 8d per lb having been paid for some time prior to the middle of November. “We received heavy orders for hams to be delivered in time for the festive season,” said the manager of one bacon company to a newspaperrepresentative last week. “And, having guaranteed to fulfil them, the goods had to be obtained irrespective of price.” During the busy period this company alone put through as many as three thousand carcases in one week, and just before Christmas the number killed and dressed in a week totalled 2700. From the time the pig is bought by the company, killed, dresser, cured and ready for the market some weeks must elapse, and after the date mentioned any pigs bought could not be prepared in time for Christmas, and consequently the price paid the farmer then fell to its present good figure of 6d per lb. Notwithstanding rumours to the effect that this price would recede shortly to 5d or 5Jd per lb, it was authoritatively stated that the price of 6d would be maintained. DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY

Although the producer generally receives cash on the spot or shortly after purchase by the company, the supply available locally by no means meets the keen demand, and it is stated that those farmers who study breed and quality need have no fear of a glut in the market for many a long day to come at all events. The number killed by the Kiwi Bacon Company’s works at Longburn and at the Municipal Abattoirs at Awapuni annually would be in the vicinity of 60,000, and if a supply locally were plentiful enough and of the right quality it is hardly likely that companies would look further afield when selecting their baconers. GOOD FEEDING ESSENTIAL

If the best bacon is to be produced pigs need more than skim milk — more particularly in the case of milk sent to a cheese factory, where every bit. of nutriment is taken from it—and many farmers do not seem to realise this fact. Mr F. R. B. Chin, manager of the Kiwi factory, in commenting upon this aspect, said that the farmer would be well advised if he would give his pigs some kind of meal in addition to milk. Although he considered pea meal the best food, barley meal or meal of any kind would have most geneficial results. Maize or wheat, probably out of the question here at the present time, would suffice were it plentiful enough. Bacon was, he said, a ssensitive as butter, and the food made a great difference in the flavour of the product. PORK INSTEAD OF BACON In the case of pork, feeding was not quite so important as the flavour was not so vital a factor. A number of dairy farmers neglected to give sufficient attention to feeding, and as a consequence pigs intended for baconers did not come up to expectations within certain time limits, with the result that they were sold as porkers at a id or lid a lb less. This practice on the part of a number of breeders was to be deprecated—it was neither profitable to the producer nor acceptable to the consumer, and the difficulty could be easily overcopie by a little attention to proper foods. No human being would fatten on skim milk, so how could the pig be expected to do so?