THE BACON CURING INDUSTRY IN SOUTHLAND.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 5, 29 April 1893, Page 10

THE BACON CURING INDUSTRY IN SOUTHLAND.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir. —My attention has been called to your article of last week on “ The Bacon Curing Industry.” Thinking mv experience on the subject might be of some value I venture to offer a few remarks. In the first place you state that Southland is particularly adapted for pork-raising. My experience leads me to differ from you. The wind being cold and bleak, and weather damp, is one of the worst features for the business, as pigs must be kept dry and warm to thrive. This can only be done of course by sty-feeding, which means labour, and consequently expense. Pigs can be produced in Canterbury for less than here, and in Queensland or Hew South Wales for still less, no housing being required, or very little, and as refrigerators are now fitted up for curing' in all the warmer climates, this is the whole secret of the collapse of the bacon trade outside of Hew Zealand. It will never pay to sty-feed pigs at 3d per lb., whereas in Queensland it pays well at 2|d, the principal feeding beingpumpkins and maize. I once thought there would always be a quantity of damaged grain here, but such is not the case, as there is very little grain grown besides oats, and oats seem impossible to damage much, and not being a pig feed, but a more muscular feed, not fattening. You say also that Canterbury and Otago are far in advance of Southland. In reply to that you may notice an article in last week’s Otago Witness on the balance-sheet of the Belfast Bacon Curing Works, where Mr John (Trigg and the most experienced men in Canterbury have a say, and there, out of an outlay in pigs during the year of £8691 (being a very small trade), they show a loss of £2336. I can also give you similar results in Dunedin, where an export trade has been cultivated.

The reason of such a high price at present, is, of course, the ruinous prices of last season, and now the intercolonial trade (the only trade being the North Island) has gone, it is a certainty that all large producers will go out of pigs and keep out. When we get intercolonial freetrade, which I hope is not far off, then our article will have a good show, beingbetter in quality somewhat, and then it will (and now too, of course, if the present : price keeps up) pay well if rightly managed, and a fair price certain. What I think Southland will come to the front in shortly will be creameries. I have gone to considerable trouble to work up this subject, and shall be happy to go into the question with any one who wishes • to inquire further in the matter. This will, no doubt come about when the London market steadies, after being upset altogether, as it is at present; by the Victorian bonus of 3d per lb. — Yours, etc., . A. A. Howell.