Copra Grading In Fiji

Plan Opposed and Withdrawn When War Breaks Out

COMMUNICATIONS from practically every territory in the Pacific show that the liveliest interest is now be ing taken in the future of the copra in dustry. Growers everywhere are sick and tired of being told that the low prices they receive for their product are the result of international unrest; while at the same time colossal profits are an nounced by the Unilever combine which virtually controls the copra markets of the world.

There is an eagerness all over the Pacific for some kind of co-operative action which will allow the growers to get a better price for copra. Unfortun ately, the problem is a bigger one than is visualised by the growers in the Pacific.

Copra comes in enormous quantities from practically every territory in the tropical belt throughout the world and the total production from the Pacific is only a small percentage of the whole production.

To achieve anything, there must be world wide action rather than regional action.

However, a start has to be made some where and it is interesting therefore to examine an agitation that has been go ing on in Fiji.

SOME time ago, the Government of Fiji accepted the apparently very sound argument of some of the leading merchants of Fiji in favour of a copra grading scheme. The general plan seemed to be similar to that now in op eration in New Guinea—namely, no copra could be exported until it had been

examined by officials of the Administra tion, and copra which did not reach a certain standard would not be passed for export. The effect of this is that New Guinea copra (what is called Rabaul grade) is worth at least £1 more per ton than most other South Seas copra.

But somewhat to the surprise of many observers there developed in Fiji a large body of active opposition to the plan. The arguments against it were very well pre sented at a special meeting of the Vanua levu Progress Association held a few weeks ago in Savu Savu. This meeting passed a strongly worded resolution ask ing the Government to appoint a com mission to investigate the whole position in relation to the copra industry before any form of compulsory grading was in troduced. The planters acknowledged that they all recognised the necessity for im proving to the fullest possible extent the prevailing low grade of copra exported, but they pointed out that this could only be achieved by the universal installation of efficient drying machinery. They said that under present financial conditions planters could not possibly finance the installation of such machinery—and they urged that, if grading were to be made compulsory, the obligation rested upon the Government to finance planters in the installation of drying machinery on the easiest possible terms.

Speakers pointed out that the grading plan was very vague. They asked where it was proposed to grade the copra in Suva or at specially selected buying

depots. They wanted to know if skilled officials were available to undertake the grading of copra. They asked if the Gov ernment were satisfied that the growers really would receive a substantial bene fit from the grading of Fiji copra.

VARIOUS planters in the columns of the “Fiji Times” discussed the whole copra position in Fiji from several angles. One man pointed out that there is a large sum of money standing to the credit of the planters in Fiji in connec tion with the Indian Repatriation Fund and he suggested that this money be in vested by the Government in an oil crushing mill and possibly a soap fac tory. He argued that if the combine could make millions of pounds of clear profit out of handling a vegetable oil and oil products, surely a comprehensive scheme embracing the whole of the copra production of Fiji would prove more profitable to growers than the pre sent haphazard system of exporting copra, which was completely at the mercy of the combine.

There may be many arguments against the suggestion that the Government of Fiji should undertake an industry of this character; but it can be pointed out in support of the newspaper correspondent that the copra producers of Ceylon have by experiment and experience, proved that it is much more profitable to crush the copra in Ceylon and export the coco nut oil and the cake to special markets, than it is simply to ship the copra in bags to an unfriendly market in Europe.

It was evident that all the agitation against the copra grading plan impressed the Governor. A bill to improve the qual ity of copra produced in the Colony was on the business paper of the Legislative Council which commenced its sittings at

the end of August: but a couple of days later the bill was withdrawn.

OPINION in Fiji is that it is not likely that the copra grading plan will be revived during the currency of the war. It is felt that it is impossible to make any forecast in relation to the future of the industry while the nations are at war and the international situa tion is so obscure.

There seems to be no reason, however, why the practical suggestion of the Savu Savu meeting that a commission be set up to examine the whole situation of the copra industry in Fiji should not be given effect to. Valuable information could be collected and collated for the assistance of the Government when the outlook be comes a little clearer and when it is pos sible again to consider the grading plan.