Possibilities of Various Tropical Crops

For New Settlers In Papua

Part I

FIRST OF TWO ARTICLES FOR “PIM,” BY AN OLD RESIDENT—PXYZ

IT is very doubtful if settlement in Papua will be open to small landed proprietors for some years to come.

The country and its native labourers require a long rest before much active new development can be attempted; but, already, a few of the stalwart Australians who have fought in the land to free it from invasion have turned their thoughts to small plantations and farms in it when the war is over.

They should have priority in land grants over bigger enterprises that will make bigger demands on Papua’s depleted labour pool. They are the type of settler the Territory most wants, and will make better citizens than the handful of over seers who build up the big estates.

It needs an expert in tropical agricul ture to show the would-be soldier-settler how to make a success of his holding in Papua. But much in the way of avoid ing the common pitfalls and disappoint ments of a career on the land can be learnt from the ordinary man who has partially failed, profited by his experience, and to some extent achieved his original aim—an agricultural venture in the Ter ritory which will pay its way.

WITH some exceptions, chiefly in the case of the big companies who can command expert advice, amateurism is writ large over many of Papua’s plant ing enterprises. Especially has this been the case where the would-be planter has graduated from a trading store or Gov ernment post, or where lack of capital has prevented complete fulfilment of the task of transforming a piece of Papua in the raw into a profitable plantation.

Otherwise, how is it that the Territory is dotted with abandoned or unpayable patches of cultivation, or that the man who has made a success of his enterprise is so often discovered to have founded his prosperity on the work put in by some original owner who failed to make good?

Too often, men seem to, have just drifted on to the land in Papua, starting ventures without sufficient technical knowledge or even commonsense, bur dened also with the facts that Nature in the tropics is a particularly hard task mistress, and that Government, both in the Territory and in Australia, has never cared two hoots whether he failed or succeeded.

Experience has at least shown some of the previous settlers why they have par tially failed, and this article is intended to assist new ones from falling into the. same errors.

IN the first place—and it is a point of supreme importance—haste in selec tion of a suitable site and lack of careful planning have been the downfall of many hard-working pioneers. Too often, the man who has found himself comfortably settled in a trading post has begun to plant some crop or other on the first piece of land to hand. Others have made a half-hearted tour of the country, found and acquired the bit of Paradise they fancied, and then looked round for some sort of crop that might suit it. This is the classical Papuan example of put ting the cart before the horse.

The first point that might be impressed on land-seekers is to make up their minds definitely and finally what they want to grow before they begin to look for sites.

Decide upon the crop, be it coconuts, coffee, rubber, or one of the other tropical commodities that could be profitably grown in the Territory, but for various reasons have been neglected, learn its. requirements as regards soil, climate, and altitude, make sure that your market estimates are fool (and rogue) proof, and provide for transport and labour.

Then, and then only, go and look for the right piece of land and not the first

piece that takes your fancy. If you choose rubber, go to the rubber districts, where planters have already demonstrated that success in its culture is possible. Ask their advice—it will be freely given— enlist their help in the selection of land, and get as close to them as you can. It is saddening to see how some men have spent their time and money on an enter prise that was doomed to failure from the start because the land chosen was not suitable to the crop.

Similarly, with the other acknowledged crops—which at present seem to include only coconuts, coffee, kapok, and possibly cocoa.

THIS 4eads naturally to the question as to what hitherto neglected products Papua can supply. It is almost a disgrace that two primary commodities, rice and tobacco, for which there has always been a tremendous local demand, have not been established on a commer cial basis long ago.

Rice growing has been left to somewhat unwilling native cultivators and has been in abeyance for some time. This indus try is open- to white growers with pros pects of success.

In the case of tobacco, the choice of land is so much a matter for experts that no amateur should select it for himself.

Careful investigation into excise condi tions and, above all, markets, must be made. Past tobacco ventures in Papua have failed—first, through alleged inter ference by vested interests; and, secondly, by the Fuzzy-wuzzy’s preference for American trade tobacco. Both factors will probably operate in the future and both might be overcome by -would-be growers who took their case to a Govern ment that wished to see the Territory developed to its fullest extent. Tobacco is so essentially a crop by means of which the local native can climb into the posi tion of a peasant farmer that no righ+minded Government should hesitate to destroy any factors that tend to prevent the development of this industry.

COTTON, surely, has a future in Papua.

According to official reports, attempts in the past failed because unsuitable land was chosen. It can, and has, how ever, been grown to profit in Papua, and I recall the experience of one small land holder who staved off bankruptcy with the help of a hastily planted area of cot ton. Some of the lighter coastal lands in the Territory seem to actually cry out at one as one passes, “Try me for cotton!”

Kapok should be a payable sideline on a Papuan plantation and in the drier dis tricts yield and quality are fair. But the grower should make very particular inquiries into the way the product is mar keted in Australia, and not scruple to ask for Government aid in checking mono polistic abuses. The Commonwealth has encouraged its culture by offering a bonus of 2d. a pound: but some disappointed growers think the bonus money might have been better spent by establishing a selling bureau whose officers could have exposed certain unfair practices designed to keep Papuan kapok off the Australian market.

DERRIS root, a toxic product in demand as an agricultural insecti cide, is a more or less untried crop that seems to offer a return to small growers. It matures in two years and the culture presents no difficulty, but some technical knowledge of the type of stock to plant and its toxic content is required Quinine is practically untried, and its future, in the face of competition from synthetic substitutes for malaria, is un certain. It needs a high altitude, at least 3,000 feet, and is slow to come to matur ity. It has been grown in the main ranges of Papua and is being tried out

in the high-level plateaux of the Man dated Territory. At present it can hardly be considered as even of potential value to small settlers, but it may prove a win ner some day.

Sugar *and tea come under the same category: both can be grown but, for market reasons, cut no ice in Papua’s agricultural programme.

With the exception of certain quick crops like tobacco, rice, or cotton, the best counsel one can give newcomers is to grow what others are growing, and to grow it as close to the successful man as possible. The formation of group settlements will gradually lead to such commercial essentials as co-operative fac tories for rubber, copra, and coffee; and to provide roads, and plane services. Also such amenities as schools for white chil dren. facilities for games and sports, elec tric light, and libraries. The country is not overcrowded yet, and concentration of settlers is a wise policy to pursue.

OTHER small tropical crops are rather disillusionary; but might offer some help as sidelines where a member of the family can supervise their culture.

Among these are chillies and peanuts.

The former is a fiddling sort of crop, and a suitable drying oven needs devis ing, though a few trays placed in the copra drier for half a day or so may suffice. The product on the Australian market before the war came from Japan and China, and was far superior to any thing I have seen fi;om Papua.

Papuan peanuts, too, are inferior to the Australian product. Some years ago a small export trade was built up in the TNG but was dropped when the consign ments were condemned in Australia for mouldiness. This may have been what one might call “invisible mould,” a mythical sort of name that serves as an excuse to do the Territorian grower out of his profit. But when I saw samples of Queensland peanuts, mould or no mould,

visible or invisible, it became clear why Papuan peanuts did not hold their own on the Australian market. A remedy for this lies in the local production of oil on the estate, and this may set some small settlers thinking.

There is a flourishing home coconut oil industry on pocket farms outside Col ombo, worked in the most primitive way but rather productive of ideas as to what might be achieved in Papua.

Castor oil and various kinds of legumes, such as Mauritius beans or cowpea, used in the North Queensland canefields, are possible sidelines.

But the would-be planter in Papua really has to make up his mind to go in for one of the standard products, and only experiment in sidelines if he has the inclination and the cash to do so.

THERE remains the small mixed farm for soldier-settlers. In the past, Papua has no record of prosperous small white farmers, and in modern times, with the almost universal use of refrigerators and the increasing quality of tinned and dried foods, the prospect is no better. The reason why small farm ers close to Moresby and Samarai lost their opportunity in the past is not easily discernible. Even in such prehistoric times as 15 years ago, when most Anglo- Papuan families sat down to tasteless meals of bully, milk, and dried fruits, sup pliers of fresh dairy goods, meat, and vegetables made little headway. It is said that Moresby people cold-shouldered small local enterprises and that Sinau badas found it easier to send cookie down to the store to book up a tin than shell out cash for fresh foods to a local grower.

On the other hand, there is some truth in the allegation that the service was poor and the prices high.

Good local markets should eventually arise for milk, butter, poultry, and vege tables provided farms are run on business lines and town dwellers show a change of spirit embodied in the slogan, “Spend your money where you earn it.” (To be Continued) The New Guinea Lutheran lay mission ary. Mr. Paul Helbisr, is now in South Australia, and will give lectures at Mur ray Bridge, Adelaide, Berri, Loxton, Gomersal and Greenock.