Tongan Vegetables

Plea For New Markets

From Our Own Correspondent

Nukualofa, July 7

THE high market prices quoted for many products of the soil indi genous to Tonga during the over sea “off season,” has caused local planters to think a little further than bananas.

Sweet potatoes (kumaras) are here in abundance, when, in New Zealand and Australia, they are conspicuous by their absence. New potatoes are to be found on the dinner table in Tonga at a time when the housewife farther south is vainly struggling to make a six months old tuber look like a near delicacy.

And maize! Corn seems to grow here anywhere, at any time, without effort, to say nothing of tomatoes and cab bages.

As at present 60 per cent, of our im ports come from Australia and New Zealand, whilst only 2 per cent, of our exports enter those countries, there can be surely no deterring factor if we now hasten in a proper reciprocal spirit to give either the Dominion or the Commonwealth the benefit of our seasonable produce, when it is out of season over there.

The little kingdom has quite a big schedule of ground products in a small way, and this should be an urge to the local Agricultural Department to get into close touch with like depart ments overseas, and by an interchange of courtesies arrive at a clear under standing.

We now know that New Zealand and Fiji have come to a very satisfactory trade agreement whereby, in exchange for preference on the part of Fiji, New Zealand allows practically all that group’s fruit and vegetables into the Dominion free of duty.