PIG PRODUCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 October 1939, Page 6

PIG PRODUCTION

COMMENT ON AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN .. 'x HIGHER PAYMENT IN SIGHT THAN LAST YEAR. SOME UNDETERMINED DETAILS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Commenting on the Imperial Government’s purchase of the exportable surplus of frozen pig meat, Mr W. A. Phillips, Chairman of Directors of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, said that under existing handling conditions and buying practice, the price agreed upon would enable a considerably higher payment to the farmer than the average ruling last year. It would appear from Mr Nash’s statement that an undertaking had been given to the Imperial Government that the grading ,of all meat during the period of the contract would be kept under strict control. It could, therefore, be assumed that it was intended to continue the recognised trade practice of paying differential prices for quality within specified weight ranges. Such a course would be highly desirable if the prestige now enoyed for our product on the English market is to be maintained for the return of normal ■ trading conditions. Although the Imperial Government has now acceded to a request to take some porker weights, the purchase of these has been limited to only 25 per cent of the total exports. This aspect of the position would be greatly appreciated by the producers, who would require the utmost assistance possible to carry 75 per cent of their production into dead weights of over one hundred pounds. z Pending an agreement on detail procedure with the Government, a revised schedule of hook prices to conform with the new order could not be determined, but these it was assured, would be sufficiently attractive to ensure continued keen interest in production.