The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-19
HUGHES DISCUSSES
PORK PRODUCTION
Can Not Understand Why
Production Boosted While
Prices Are Low

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I am unable to understand why
some of u county agents and rail-
road agricultural agents insist on
the farmers raising a large number
Of hogs when the prices are the low
est they have been since Hoover's
administration. There is absolutely
no profit in hogs at present prices
and the outlook still points to a
further decline. Today corr is worth
around sixty cents a bushel whole
sale yet the farmers are feeding
corn to four and five cent pork.
Well did our Lord say it when he
said, If the blind lead the blind, they
all fall in the ditch together. I
have been raising hogs around IS
years and most of the time main.
tanned them at a profit, but when
production went below a reasonable
profit, I cut down and waited until
I could see a fair margin in them
again.
My experience in feeding corn to
hogs is that it takes at least ten
bushels of corn and not less than SO
pounds of fish meal to produce a
hundred pounds Of pork and a hog
has to be in the best of health and
have some green feed and reason
able warm weather to do this. Now
let's stop and figure and see how
much we are gaining OF losing on
these bases. Today's hog quotations
run around $50 per hundred for
prime hogs delivered to Kingan in
Richmond. Transportation charges,
delivered Richmond stockyards, are
forty cents a hundred which leaves
you a net of $40 per hundred
weight. This is on strictly prime
hogs. Underweights, sows and stays
run from 80 to 4.2O per hundred
weight. Ten bushels of corn at
IS cents per bushel are worth $3.50,
and fifty pounds of fish meal are
worth $1.60, making a total Of $50
which cost to produce a hundred
pound of pork at the present price
IF corn and fish meal. According to
these figures, you are losing SO per
hundred on every hundred pounds
of pork you produce at the present
price of pork and corn.
You must first realize that supply
and demand rule the market. When
you can't raise hogs at a fair margin
the thing to do, is to cut down on
your production. Don't wait for the
other fellow to do this before you
start. Take it on yourself and do 1t
today. There are hundreds of PEG
pie today just dragging along, hop
ing against hope, waiting and think.
ing, well the market will go back
up again SOON" Let me tell you
right now, there S no hope or
chance for it to go up again until
every hog producer in America to-
day is to cut your production al
least one third and a half if pos
sible.
How many farms have we today
in North Carolina incumbered with
federal loans? And how many farm
ers have lost their farms because
they were unable to meet their obli.
cations on account of federal loans:
Ny opinion is a large percent OF the
farmers need better management. II
our representatives have the farm.
ers at heart and wish to do some.
thing for them, why don't they pass
a bill to regulate the production OF
hogs the same as they did cotton
and tobacco? I am of the opinion
we need more men in the country
like Mayor Thomas e. Cooper.
There's a man that has done more
for his fellow man than any indiv.-
dual in North Carolina. He's a real
big hearted man. A a withou.
respect of person when it comes to
a real favor. I am sorry we have
not got more men like him in North
Carolina. I feel W state would be
better off morally and financially.
It's my sincere hope that TOM will
be our next governor of North Caro-
lima.
JAS. T. HUGHES,
Route 1
Carolina Livestock company,
Wilmington, N. c.