THE BACON INDUSTRY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 100, 23 December 1912, Page 4

THE BACON INDUSTRY.

It is a curious fact that, despite a very steady demand for good bacon at even high prices, the business of ha-eon-curing docs not often turn out successfully, and an evidence of this is given in tho report of the W aikato

Farmers’ « Co-operative Bacon Coin-, pany, published in another column of this issue, in the balance-sheet of that concern for the year ended ni October last, a heavy loss is shown, one of the chief sources of w hich is set down as on account of condemned pigs, the company having paid full rates to the fanners during the season for all pigs received. The number condemned was so excessive that under this head alone a loss of £1295 is shown. The seriousness of the situation is indicated by the fact that j the Government is now paying com-r pensation direct to farmers, and will take steps to know from whence the diseased pigs came, so that the cause of disease may be investigated, and the farmers advised by the Government veterinarians as to what is best for them to do to eradicate the evil. In any case, those interested in the industry require to he watchful and alert. As a safeguard against heavy loss to the farmers and to themselves through pigs being condemned, one large firm of buyers, Messrs. W. Bimock and Co., Ltd., have introduced a method of insurance which appears to be oil equitable lines. Under this scheme the seller pays one shilling per head insurance on his pigs, and obtains full market rates in payment, the buyers taking all responsibility of loss by disease. How this works will ho watched with very great interest. Messrs. Dimock’s enterprise in the bacon business deserves both support and success. The industry is a very important one, and it will be a sad blow' if the breakfast rasher and the toothsome ham, already rather difficult to reach, should soar out of sight altogether.