EXPORTING SUCKER PICS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 228, 15 March 1928, Page 6

EXPORTING SUCKER PICS.

MORRINSVILLE PROPOSAL.

Coping With Surplus Supply.

The suggestion that a more profitable avenue would be opened up to farmers by exporting their surplus sucker pigs was made by Mr. A. Topham, of Kereone, at Saturday’s meeting of the Morrinsville branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Mr. Topham pointed out that the autumn litter of pigs was sufficient to supply the local market and local needs. The autumn litter overstocked the market and the suckers failed generally to make more than 3s to ss. The pigs were bought by people who often could not feed them properly and 50 per cent, died during the winter. The remainder came on to the market the next July as stores, and on account of incorrect feeding at least half of these were condemned as unfit for export. If these suckers were frozen and exported to the English market, where they were considered a delicacy and commanded high prices, farmers would secure eonsiderably-higher returns.

Mr. J. E. Leeson said the N.Z. Pig Marketing Co-operation had considered the matter but had not approved of it. The trouble was that the New Zealand and English markets would not coincide as far as weaners were concerned and there would be little if any profit in exporting. Mr. Topham said his proposal was not to export the spring suckers but the autumn suckers. He thought there was a market for these.

Mr. Barrowclough inquired whether there was any chance of developing a local market. Mr. Topham : At present the retail price is too prohibitive to encourage local sales. However, profitable inquiries might be made in that direction.

On the president’s motion a recommendation was made that the N.Z. Pig Co-operation should go into the question of the prospect of exporting autumn sucker pigs and if thought advisable to send a trial shipment to England.