Copra Inspection

Good Work In New Guinea

Grading And Branding

Have Improved Price

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, June 1.

DURING the German regime of this Territory, the large selling firms carried out a system of inspecting and grading their copra with very satisfactory results to all concerned.

Under this system, the planter was paid for his produce according to grade and quality. But, at that time, hap pier conditions appear to have existed in the copra industry.

Labour troubles were practically non-existent, and production costs were much less than at present. There was not the competition with whale and other oils and, even with the much lower prices ruling for copra before the war, the plantations were good paying propositions.

Copra was placed in four grades or varieties: Kiln dried.

Sun plantation Trade Smoke dried.

A plantation which made a high standard of copra was allotted a special mark, and this copra was always ship ped on a separate Bill of Lading and under the specially allotted mark.

Upon expropriation and the change over of plantations to the new owners, many of whom were inexperienced, the quality deteriorated and there was much trouble with overseas buyers on this account.

The Australian firms then handling the business made strenuous efforts to rectify the trouble about quality, and their travelling plantation inspectors were always ready with their experi enced advice for plantation managers and owners. The Planters’ Association, themselves alive to the position, took the matter up amongst their members and commenced an agitation for Gov ernment inspection.

Commencement Ofcompulsory

Inspection

The Administration, always ready to lend its helping hand, went into the matter thoroughly, and in January, 1929, appointed inspectors and com menced a system of inspection, which has greatly benefited the planters of the Territory.

The system is working satisfactorily and the Copra Ordinance gives the Department of Agriculture more con trol over exports of copra than it had, and is resulting in a generally higher grade of copra, The Department does not, as yet, fix standard samples or send same abroad.

The Administration has now five copra inspectors appointed and at tached to the Department of Agricul ture. They are stationed at Rabaul,

Kavieng, Madang, Kieta; travelling in spector.

It is compulsory that all copra ex ported from the Territory be inspected by the appointed officers, who issue certificates as under: Hot air dried copra.

Plantation sun dried.

Rabaul sun dried (commonly known as trade copra).

Smoke-dried copra.

Uniform markings are encouraged but not compulsory, consequently hot air copra is marked in green ink, plantation sun in black, trade copra either in blue marking ink, or “C X” in black, and smoke dried in red. Overseas buy ers have become conversant with the markings and it simplifies business.

Inspection of copra consists of open ing not less than 10 per cent, of the bags, and in the case of copra which has been rejected and the owner al lowed to recondition, not less than 50 per cent, of the bags so opened.

The Advantages

Since the advent of Government in spection, the importation of second hand bags has been prohibited, thus giving our goods a better appearance and also doing away with the wastage caused by torn bags, which had not been repaired.

It has been found, since Govern ment inspection commenced, that there has been a big falling-off in the quan tity of smoke dried copra submitted in favour of hot air dried. This is mainly on account of the very heavy rainfall, which is so unfavourable to the mak ing of sun dried copra which will pass the inspectors.

It is also found that greater care has been taken in handling and ship ping from outports to places of con centration by inter-island steamers.

Any copra found by the Government Inspector as unfit for shipment, if very bad, is destroyed; but if, in the inspec tor’s opinion, it could be reconditioned, the owner is allowed to take it away, recondition it and again submit it for further inspection.

During the first year of Government inspection quite a large percentage of the copra submitted was rejected and had to be reconditioned: but now the percentage is very small indeed.

The result of the Government in spection of copra exported has had a twofold effect. It has caused an all round improvement in quality and, on the oversea market, copra shipped from this Territory is quoted separately as Rabaul copra, at 5/- per ton higher than the ordinary South Seas copra, which does not carry a Government Certificate The Administration, realising that present prices are not a highly remun erative proposition to the planter, have not made any charge for the copra inspection.

A Government safe on Norfolk Island was broken open during Bounty Day celebrations, and £500 stolen. No clues had been obtained as to the culprit up to June 10.

The output of dry rubber from the plantation of the Koitaki Para Rub ber Estates Ltd., Papua, for May was 26,1121 b.