For Copra Growers

Papua Provides Relief

From our own correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, May 1

IN February, the Administration of Papua recognising the critical position of the copra industry in the territory, an nounced its intention to provide tempor ary assistance, if there was no immediate recovery in the market price.

Later, it was announced that an amount of £8,000 was being made available from the Insurance Fund, and this month (May), the Legislative Council propose to pass an Ordinance appropriating the £8,000 for a bonus to copra growers. It will come into force immediately, for a period of one year.

The bonus to individual growers will vary, according to the approximate cost of freight from each point of shipment on the coast to the port of export from the Territory; and will be paid on plantation copra only, trade copra, native-owned plantation copra, Government copra being excluded.

It is also intended that bags of copra must be marked, “Papua Plantation,” and that no subsidy may be claimed on in ferior copra, i.e., undried, imperfectly dried, rotten, etc. An inspection may be made by a Customs officer, and the pro ducer must render a certificate on a spe cified form, concerning the copra on which he claims a bonus.

The procedure is quite simple. Each grower will put in a form of application supported by a declaration, when shipping copra to port of export, claiming bonus at the prescribed rate for that particular shipment. The bonus will be paid on weight landed at port of export, and will be subject to verification by the Customs Department.

The bonus to copra growers is a gener ous move by the Government, and is re cognised as such throughout the Terri tory.

The Territory’s export of copra is about 10,000 tons per annum, and under the conditions stated, the bonus should aver age about £1 per ton.