GRADING OF BACONER PIGS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 139, 13 May 1940, Page 12

GRADING OF BACONER PIGS

The contention that the grading of baconore’ for export had been either completely abandoned or considerably relaxed was refuted to-dav bv the Superintendent of the Pig Industry (Mr M. J. Scott), who stated that grading was still being carried out with just as much care as originally. There had been some identification, but no relaxation. “Originally there _ were four -weight classes of baconers with a 151 b interval between each class covering the range of 121 to 1801b.’’said Mr Scott. “The inclusion of 101 to 1201 b pigs in the baconer class necessitated another weight class or a modification of existing ones. For many reasons a modification was adopted and four weight classes with a 201 b interval between each wa3 decided on. The standards of fat-1 measurement were eased by one-eighth of an inch for most loin measurements, so as - to conform to English requirements, and were made eenerous for the new weight class 101-1201 b, since excessive fat at this weight is not objectionable, whereas thin light pigs are most undesirable. The pig previously classed as Prime 3 was classed as second qU “Grading percentages lor all baconers and for different weight ranges are published each month. There is a general improve-

ment of about 2 per cent, in prime pigs which could quite reasonably be attributed to an improvement in the quality of pigs marketed. “Complaints are also made about the excessive number of chopper pigs and pigs of 161 to 1801 b being tent forward. The numbers of these killed each month are also published, and - the general increase in this class of pig over last year is again only 5 to 6 per cent. When consideration is given to the acute shortage of store pigs last spring, it ir, rather remarkable that the:• increase in choppers and heavy weight pigs is so small. Farmers bad no option but to make pigs heavier and by doing so have converted an apparent reduction of 20 per cent, in numbers killed into an actual reduction of only 10 per cent, in weight of pigs killed. “On the whole, producers are to bo congratulated on the way in which they have adjusted production to new circumstances. They have made a real effort to do all that was asked of them at a time when a shortage of pigs made that difficult; they have increased the amount of bacon by at least 30 per cent, and the really heavy pigs by less than 6 per cent. “Approximately a whole year elapses from the time sows arc mated till pigs are killed, so that a decline in killings in any month is the result of decisions made, and action taken a year previously. Killings will probably continue to decline up till December of this year, but present indications’ are that an increase will occur after January, 1941.”