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Show THE LIVESTOCK SITUATION The importance of hog production to the western country may better be realized when it is known that more than 60 percent of our total meat production in the United States is pork, which also represents more than 50 percent of the total money value for all livestock sold for meats. These figures are furnishetl after a careful survey by the United States Department of Agriculture, which also al-so is authority for the statement that beef represents about 40 percent of the money value of all meats, and sheep and lambs less than 10 percent. per-cent. When we consider that the western states are furnishing only a small fraction of our pork supply, the importance im-portance of building up our home grown pork supply is evident. Last year, for example, Los Angeles county packers alone slaughtered 732,525 hogs, for which they paid approximately $16,000,000. Over the state as a whole, it is estimated that California paid out something like $50,000,000, and at least another $25,000,000 for pork products slaughtered in distant states and imported im-ported into the state in the formi of smoked meats and pork products in dry salt and pickle. Were it not for the fact that it has definitely been proven in many actual ac-tual demonstrations that hogs of satisfactory quality may profitably profit-ably be produced in many grain districts dis-tricts in the western -states, the writer might not be justified in continually con-tinually urging greater interest in home grown pork. Yet it seems logical that in the districts in the extreme west, where there is an abundance of grain raised, more pork should be produced,' not only for individual in-dividual profit to the grower, but for the general economic welfare af the country as well. The present outlook seems particularly particu-larly favorable to pork production. General rainfall over the grain districts dis-tricts in the west indicate that we will have a world of feed barley, wheat, alfalfa, corn, etc. A smaller hog production is forecast by the Department of Agriculture. Beef prices are relatively high and certainly cer-tainly there is no indication but what the present level of beef prices will be maintained. This means a continued con-tinued broad outlet for pork, often referred to as "the poor man's meat," because of a lack of waste. j The Department of Agriculture is also authority for the prediction that pork prices in 1930 should averng at least as high as in 1929 and possibly pos-sibly higher. The greatest drawback to western pork production in the past has been the lack of a stable, open market for hogs. Western meat packers and distributors have depended largely upon supplies of hogs .purchased at distant points often 2,000 miles away. To a great degree, such supplies sup-plies are shipped directly to packing plants, with little regard for anything any-thing like a regular flow of supplies and no means for the trade in general gen-eral to have knowledge of the volume. vol-ume. This has resulted in unsatisfactory unsatis-factory marketing conditions on the open market at Los Angeles at times. To offset this condition, members of the Los Angeles Livestock Exchange have gone on record as opposing direct shipments so that all supplies may be centered in the open market at the Los Angeles Union Stoek Yards, where all in the trade may know just what is coming to market. It is felt in this way, that receipts may be adjusted to meet trade demands de-mands and the western producer may have the "benefit of a more stable market, where prices will always be established purely on a basis of supply sup-ply and demand. With the establishment establish-ment of such a condition, the western west-ern producer may be more certain of getting a fair price for his product. Undoubtedly, the present situation has much to do with the failure of the west to grow its own pork supplies. sup-plies. Real headway has been made in improving- the market conditions, however, and as rapidly as a stable market is assured, the more rapidly we may all be assured that the western west-ern farmer will raise more hogs. |