French Copra

Worth £33 Per Ton in Papeete on 1943 Contract

THE following is a translation of an official statement recently made in Tahiti.

It was disclosed in August last that the Government of New Caledonia had final ised certain contracts with the Govern ments of the United States and Canada for the disposal of the whole of the copra produced in the islands of French Oceania up to the end of June, 1943, with the possibility of continuance of the arrangements up to the end of the same year.

Conditions of these contracts are of great interest in connection with the general economic situation of the Col ony, and are sufficiently advantageous to allow the operation, for a period of at least one year, of a fixed price to pro ducers: — 1 fr. 75. in the Tuamotu, Gambier, Austral and Marquesas Archipelagos. 2 frs. in Papeete, for all local copra; 2 frs. 20. in Papeete, for copra from Tuamotu, Gambier, Austral and Marque sas. (This is equal to £33 per ton, Aus tralian.) But, for the purposes of the contracts, the Colony must supply minimum quan tities of copra. Every ounce of copra is needed by the Colony to meet the needs of the United Nations.

Therefore, the Government is making an urgent appeal to producers, buyers, exporters and to all those persons inter ested in copra production, to make every effort to speed up the production of copra, which is the source of the Colony’s wealth, and a factor in final victory.