Copra And Soya Beans.

British Import Duties.

[Letter to the Editor] We are much interested in the letter appearing in your issue of June 24,. from the Coconut Planters’ Union Ltd. with regard to copra substitutes.

We are afraid that South Seas copra, producers are altogether under a mis apprehension as to the benefit they hope to derive from a duty on foreign grown copra into this country. The amount of copra grown within the Em pire exceeds the consumption of this country several times, and there is, therefore, no likelihood of United Kingdom consumers ever having to pay one penny more for Empire-grown copra than the price obtainable in the world market, as there is always a large surplus of Empire-grown copra which has to find a market outside the United Kingdom.

With regard to the request made by the Coconut Planters’ Union, that a duty should be placed on soya beans, so as to help copra, here again we think that the copra-producers are taking an entirely too optimistic view.

The increase in the imports of soya beans in 1932, amounting to 48,000 tons, only represents approximately 8,000 tons of oil. The total imports of soya beans only represent 27,000 tons of oil, and even if it were possible to exclude the whole of this quantity of soya beans, and substitute them by copra, it would only require an additional 41,000 tons of copra to manufacture this quantity of oil; and this, in our opinion, would not have any effect on Empire copra, as there is a very much larger excess than this quantity of Empire copra available to draw upon.

Furthermore, it cannot be said that coconut oil can, generally speaking, be used as a substitute for soya bean oil.

On the whole, the two oils are being used for quite different purposes, and the substitution of one for the other would only be possible to a very minor degree.

We should be exceedingly sorry if this will shatter the hopes of the copra producers to obtain a much increased price to the U.K. if their petition were granted; but it seems to us that in the long run nothing can be gained by basing one’s expectations on false promises.

We are, etc.,

Faure, Blattman & Co.

Holland House, Bury Street, London, E.C.3, 15/8/33.