PIG MARKET UNSATISFACTORY.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 223, 9 February 1928, Page 6

PIG MARKET UNSATISFACTORY.

REASON FOR LOW PRICES. Local Supply Exceeds Demand. No Demand for Weaners. ■; Considerable dissatisfaction exists r.mong farmers on account of the unsatisfactory state of the market for pigs. The position has been unduly aggravated this year on account of the drought conditions, and prices have been extraordinarily low. Nevertheless there is a feeling that the cause of the present state of affairs is more deep-rooted. Commenting on the position, Mr. .J. E. Leeson, of Morrinsville, who is well known for his interest in the I recently-formed Pig-marketing Asso- j ciation, said it was clear that the supply of pigs at present far outstripped the demand. For instance, while the pig population of New Zealand in 1925 was only 450,000, it had increased so rapidly in recent years that it was now in the region of a million. This was due to a variety of causes. Firstly the doctrine of “ keep more pigs ” launched by the Agricultural Department, and its propagation through the press and along other channels, had stimulated 'interest among pig breeders. Secondly, the low prices ruling for calves " tended to induce the belief that it I was more profitable to keep pigs than * rear young stock. Thirdly, there was ® .the natural fact of the fast rate of increase of pigs. With two litters a J year of an average of six or seven < each it was obvious that the pig population would increase at an enormous rate. " Consequent, upon the fact that there were many more pigs than could be consumed locally the price was the same as London parity. The only remedy was to decrease the supply or export more pigs. 4 Of these two courses the latter was the most favourable, as it would develop an important sideline to dairyiig that was at present only in its infancy, or experimental stages. jj Referring to the present small dif- ‘ ference in the prices of baconers and porkers, Mr. Leeson prophesied that the latter were going to be very short in the near future. “ No one is . going to put 501 b weight on a porker * for a few shillings, and breeders will

not wait until their pigs have reached ibaconer size before they put them on the market,” he said. An increase in the price of baconers could be looked for at the end of the season, asserted Mr. Leeson. The ridiculously-cheap rates ruling for weaners were due almost wholly to the drought. With a shortage of milk and practically no roots or grass for feed farmers were faced with the alternative of letting the young pigs starve or releasing them on. an overstocked market. This latter was now being done, and it was probable that if the drought continued farmers would not be able to give their weaners away. Questioned on the point of exporting weaner pigs, which are regarded as a delicacy in England, Mr. Leeson doubted whether they would freeze properly. If this could be done, and the young pigs, more particularly suckers, could be placed on the Home market, another avenue might be opened up to afrmers. One difficulty was that the seasons would not coincide. The English public did not eat pork in any quantity in any month that did not have an “ r ” in it—that is to say, September, October, November and December were the months in which pork was in greats est demand. In any case if export was contemplated only the best-done weaners could be sent abroad. The quality of the majority that were received at local sales would not be fit to export.—Morrinsville Star.