Copra

Information Wanted

SOME joint announcement by the United Nations regarding the South Pacific copra price is needed. At present it looks as if the price is being juggled with in five currencies (Sterl ing, USA, Australian, Fijian, French).

And apparent discrepancies are so great that planters are becoming a little heated.

There is no justification for the official “hush-hush” policy regarding copra.

All know that copra is in great demand.

Governments are buying wherever they can. The merchants, being agents of the Governments, are precluded from trad ing in copra; but they try to get some thing out of the situation through hand ling charges, freights, etc. The growers —the lucky ones, outside the occupied areas —are doing very nicely; but they quite properly demand that they now receive every available penny, as com pensation for the many lean years.

They suspect Governments and mer chants and Unilever of sinister practices.

Rumours circulate of phenomenal prices being paid in USA and Europe.

Australia officially offers around £A2O f.0.b., Pacific ports; Fiji quotes £FIB Suva, which is about the same. But growers do not get these prices. A letter, printed below, explains how freights deprive the NH planters of substantial margins.

In the case of Fiji, according to a let ter from a correspondent “Ga Ni Bulu,” the Government will not pay more than £l6 for first-grade (Plantation) and £l5 for second (FMS). Our correspondent asks: “What becomes of that £2 and £3 per ton?” And planters are entitled to know —after all, they are the producers.

If there is nothing to hide, there is no reason why the Fiji authorities should not make the information public.

Planters are reasonable men, and re cognise that there must be some sort of handling charge. But so long as it is hidden, planters will suspect that someone, somewhere, is getting some sort of a “rake-off.”