H.—29,

Swine Husbandry. The report of Mr. M. J. Scott, Superintendent of the Pig Industry, is submitted herewith " Reduced Output. —On account of having to export an increased percentage of bacon, pigproducers have felt the consequences of recent world events more acutely than the producers of other classes of live-stock. Men who kept many sows, who produced pork, and sold store pigs were the backbone of the industry. The restriction on the amount of pork exported gave them no option but to reduce their sow numbers, and their doing so has resulted in a considerable reduction in the number of pigs that will be available for fattening. This will not be evident until the spring of this year, when a shortage of heavy baconers is most likely to occur. There is evidence that the bacon-producer and the buyer of stores have anticipated this shortage and have increased their breeding-sows in such a way that from January, 1941, pig-production should again begin to increase. The present drop in pigproduction, although serious, cannot be attributed to war conditions. A reduction in killings was first evident in May, 1939, and, since it takes approximately one year from the time sows are mated till pigs are killed, farmers must have withheld sows from service in May, 1938. At that time the prospects of war did not justify such action. A decision to reduce the number of pigs had been made for reasons other than war upsets. From a survey of the monthly killings since May, 1939, it is evident that that decision has been acted on continuously since May, 1938. "In the undermentioned table the annual killings of pigs for the last six years are set out. In previous reports the killing season was taken as ending on 30th September each year ; in this one the year ends on 31st March. Figures for 1940 for pigs killed on farms and those slaughtered in ordinary licensed slaughterhouses during the last quarter are not yet available. Both these figures are fairly constant and inconsiderable and have been estimated on those of previous years. Similarly, in arriving at the number of baconers killed an estimate of those killed for local consumption based on previous years has been used.

" It will be seen that there is a decrease of 210,909 in this year's killings from those of last year. This represents approximately 20-2 per cent, numerically. When the numbers and weights of baconers and porkers are taken into consideration the decrease is only 10-1 per cent, on last year's weight of pig-meat. " Although this reduction in output has taken place, the conditions under which pigs are kept, the quality of pigs produced, the, efficiency with which dairy by-products are used, and the incidence of disease on farms are all showing steady improvement. Mr. H. M. Peirson, Supervisors of District Pig Councils, and officers of the Department, without exception, report improved facilities and attention to pigs. The reduction in output is accounted for in the main by men, chiefly pork-producers, who went rapidly into pig-production without proper facilities, finding that under those circumstances pigkeeping entailed many disappointments and disagreeable employment, deciding to get out of pigs just as rapidly as they went into them. " The stimulus given to margarine-production as a result of the war would alone warrant bringing to the notice of dairy-farmers the need for increased pig-production, but when to this is added the virtual disappearance of Denmark as a supplier of both butter and bacon the necessity for our rapid expansion as a supplier of pig-meats to Great Britain should be evident to all. Sound development of the industry can be made only on the basis of home-produced crops. There is danger in becoming a factory for the conversion of imported grain into pig-meat. " Instructional and Advisory Service. —Pedigree-sow Recording : This service continues to receive support mainly from pig clubs. Provided originally at the request of pig-breeders, these men have failed to make use of it. As the fountain-head of improved stock, they are placing themselves in the position of being unable to supply recorded stock, and must continue to sell on pedigree and appearance, instead of these combined with performance. This is most unfortunate and cannot be in the best interests of the industry. For the year ended 31st March, 425 sows have been entered for test, 409 have completed records, and 267 of the litters have been heavier than 70 lb. and 210 lb. at three weeks and eight weeks respectively. Results are published quarterly in the Journal of Agriculture. " Performance-record Scheme : This was introduced in August, 1939. Under this scheme pigs of a recorded litter are tattooed and fed to bacon weights on the owner's farm. After slaughter, the carcass is examined for quality by an officer of the Department of Agriculture. The owner then

10

Number of Total Pigs killed,* Year. Breeding - sows Year ended As Baconers. As Porkers, at 31st January. 31st March. 1935 .. .. .. 111,793 899,820 309,136 590,684 1936 .. .. .. 116,058 979,200 419,253 559,947 1937 .. .. .. 112,921 1,037,841 452,378 585,463 1938 .. .. .. 104,803 1,115,226 442,379 672,847 1939 .. .. .. 96,754 1,039,767 413,757 626 010 1940 .. .. .. .. 828,858 453,064 375,794 * Covers pigs killed in export slaughterhouses, abattoirs, rural slaughterhouses, and on farms.