PIG MARKETING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5291, 25 June 1928, Page 2

PIG MARKETING.

THE CQDI’ERATIVE ASSOCIATION. THE NGATEA BRANCH. . A meeting of the Ngatea branch of the N.Z. Co-operative Pig Marketing Association was held at Ngatea onThursday evening last, there being a good attendance of farmers.. A review of the operations of the branch for the past seven months was given by the secretary (Mr E. Ma,rtin). His report was as follows : — “At a meeting held in this hall on November 15, 1927, .and addressed >y Mr S. H. Judd, chairman of the executive of the association, it was decided, in the interests of farmersto form a branch of the .association at. Ngatea, the object of the a.ssiociation being to secure greater returns to the farmers for the pork, which they produced. “As. Mr Jufld’s meeting was very poorly attended on account of the short notice, and in most cases ho ■notice at all, and, as we had liAd 110 previous experience of such an association, we were naturally without guidance as to the support which would be .accorded us by cur fellow farmers. It will be therefore gratifying to learn tha.t, up to the present, this branch of the association has forwarded approximately 2000 ! pigsConsidering that we did not commence bperAtions until the end of November (the first truck being sent on November 28), the result is more than pleasing. “At first we thought only of a small area Around Ngatea, and of providing a suitable depot for receiving pigs. With that object in view tiie Farmers’ Auctioneering Company were com. municated with, and they generously offered the use of their saleyatds, for which we have to thank theifi. “Now the /Waitakaruru district, which was also desirous of linking, up with the association, joined in with us. We also spread our operation to include Pipiroa, Orchard nlast as far as McComb’s, Hoiahia, and Shelly Beach. That the inclusion of these districts was warranted has bee proved by the fact thqt we have always been able to send full trucks, thereby reducing the cost of railage to a minimum—a. matter of great importance. “Cartage anfl. insurance were the two most important problems to contend with. Tenders were called for the cartage of pigs from Ngatea to Paeroa.. and two tenders were received 1 , . that of Mr H. B. Sparrow’s being accepted. » “Yoiu- committee thought it advisable, in the interests of suppliers, to inaugurate some method of insurance, whereby some responsibility would be thirown on the carrier as regards loss during transit to Paeroa, from which place the pigs are trucked. This matter was finally overcome, the contractor, fo tlie- c'onsideation of 6d per pig, accepting liability from the time of receiving the pig until put on the truck at Paeroa. Thereafter the pigs are under-the insurance of the association.

“Pigs are received at the Ngatea depot and the Waitakaruru pig depot, but elsewhere are picked up either out of the sty or from the farmer’s cart on the roadside, according to convenience.

“As I have previously stated, the number of pigs sent from this branch of the .association is most gratifying, as it is also the price received for the first pool, which closed at the end of December and contained just over 7000 pigs. The price paid out was, as you know, slightly in advance of that paid over the scales during the same period. Taking this into consideration, together with the facts, that you were paid for every pound the pig weighed and that the weight on the hooks is several pounds better than that over the scales, the monetary re. turn to the farmer is very much greater and fully justifies the existence of this branch, ttud much more so of the parent organisation.” In a discussion on the grading of pigs it was pointed out that the per. centage of condemned animals from the Plains was extraordinarily small/“Ij ■a fact which was surprising, in view ~ of the numerous statements to the contrary from other sources. I.t was also revealed that ,no pigs been lost or grading points deducted for bruises, and the cartage contractor, ■Mr H. B. Sparrow, was complimented on his work.

It was decided to ask the contractor to carry on until the fresh tenders were considered after the annual meeting, which would be held next month. A member of the executive would be asked to attend that meeting.

It was decided to ask the executive to go into the question of lh,a,nflling live calves.