Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.3. Correspondence, Letters to newspapers

1951 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Irish Independent, 28.09.1951

Coloured Pigs

Elizabeth F. Bobbett, General Secretary, Irish Farmers’ Federation, Wicklow, in the course of a letter, writes: As we hear constantly that farmers “must produce more from their land, both livestock and feeding stuffs,” it came as a terrible shock to read the recent Pigs (Unsuitable Types) Order which provided that pigs other than white shall not be used for breeding purposes after June, 1952, and that no coloured pig will be bought after that date.

Under this Order, the farmer who had kept a sow which was bred by a large white boar and a black sow, or, perhaps, a black and white sow, and whose bonhams may show even a small spot of black, must now get rid of that sow as he would not have time to have her litter fattened off by next June.

We have a serious decline on our numbers of pigs going to the factories and this will cause a further decline for many months ahead if any sow with the slightest trace of cross-breeding, has to go out of production. Speaking on behalf of the County Wicklow, farmers, I say they have no intention of “going back to the saddle-back pigs.” We know the pure-bred “saddle-back” is a coarse pig when fattened, but we want to keep the good cross-breed we have in certain districts, which has been raised from the black sow crossed with the large white boar. The offsprings of such cross are very good for either pork or bacon and they are healthy and good doers, saving at least six weeks in feeding to bacon weight. With the high costs and scarcity of feeding, this is a great consideration.