How Bananas Are Saving Samoa

Newly-Developed Industry is Partial Set-off to Copra Slump

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Apia, October 28.

AN industry established in the Ter ritory during the regime of Sir George Richardson (now retired) as Administrator, is that of banana grow ing.

With careful handling this industry is likely to prosper, as there is a ready and favourable market in New Zea land, where shipments to date have brought satisfactory prices.

The Administration launched the scheme to encourage banana planting some two years ago; and the special inducement was a guaranteed price to the grower of 5/- for each case of accepted fruit. Cases are supplied free to the growers—mosty Samoans with small holdings—and the Government undertakes all transport, with no charge to the grower.

Depots are established at various central points along the coast of the island) of Upolu, transport to Apia being both by motor truck and by motor launches. At the depots the fruit is collected, inspected and cased ready for transport.

Immediately a case of fruit is passed the grower is paid his 5/- per case, which for him is a most agreeable arrangement. There is no risk, no waiting for account sales returns from Auckland. Thus the producing end of the business offers no difficulties whatever.

Shipping Troubles

The banana industry has been ham pered in the past by inadequate ship ping facilities. A New Zealand Govern ment vessel, the Maui Pomare, was built for the trade, and from the outset was to have lifted 10,000 cases of fruit per shipment, on a five-weekly service.

Unfortunately, it was found that the vessel, though able to load that number of cases, could not carry them with any

degree of certainty as to the condition the fruit would be in upon arrival at the southern ports of New Zealand.

The trouble appears to have lain with the refrigerating machinery. Only 5,000 to 6,000 cases was the limit of acceptance at Apia, a reduction of about 40 per cent, from the original promise of a 10,000 case cargo space.

Bad luck followed the Maui Pomare, for engine troubles developed, with a consequent dislocation of the service, which became irregular, much to the disappointment of growers.

Union Co. To The Rescue.

However, the Maui Pomare was taken off the run some months ago for extensive overhaul, and it is now under stood that her carrying capacity has been re-arranged and that in future she will be able to stow something nearer the 10,000-case mark of fruit from Western Samoa. The Maui Po mare is expected to come into the trade again in November.

To fill the gap caused by the irre gular running of the Maui Pomare, the Union Co.’s Waipahi came to Apia and in one shipment, without the aid of cooling chambers, lifted 12,000 cases, landing the fruit at Auckland in good marketable condition. Following this, arrangements were made for the same company’s regular island steamer Tofua to lift fruit, and shipments of 6,000 to 7.000 cases were carried by way of Suva, the fruit arriving at Auckland in generally sound condition.

The banana trade is a valuable one to the Territory. It should easily re sult in the distribution of £80,000 per annum among the growers. With pro gress in this direction, trade figures next year should be nearly normal.

Good returns from bananas will offset to some degree the losses in the copra trade—and help the Administration to balance its budget.