MEAT MARKET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 March 1941, Page 9

MEAT MARKET

A FURTHER SHOCK BACON EXPORTERS NOT OPERATING. PRICES DECLINE AT WESTFIELD. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 12. A further shock to the export, meat market was given at Westfield today, when it was found that exporters of baconer pigs were not operating at the weekly fat stock sale. No official statement would be made by anybody concerned in the export trade, but it was learned that the action followed the receipt of an unofficial intimation by an exporter that Britain could not take all the baconers it was hoped to export. The Minister of Marketing, Mr. Barclay, declined to comment on the situation, but said the whole of lhe meat export, trade would be reviewed at a conference in Wellington. The exporters’ abstention from today’s market followed the issue yesterday of a new price schedule, which reduced values of baconers and porkers by Is. Bd. a pound to 6Jd. and 6jd. respectively. The best price .for a baconer was £4 3s. today, against £4 15s. a week ago. and for porkers £2 14s. against £3 2s. When Denmark was cut off as a source of supply last year an appeal was made to New Zealand to increase the production of baconers, even to the extent of 10,000 tons a year. Campaigns were initiated by the Government to induce farmers to breed more bacon pigs, the Controller of Primary Production. Mr. A. H. Cockayne, in an appeal on April 18 stating that even if it had to be produced at a loss it was every farmer’s duty to produce bacon. The Government also requested local bodies to use any available land for raising pigs. Up to the end of October export killings were double those of the corresponding period of the previous season. From January of this year only bacon sides have been taken in endeavours to save storage and shipping space.