Brotosj Expert PlansNew Planting Policy for
p. 25 · Read in the full issue
British-Pacific TERritorries How Land and Agriculture Can be Tied Up With Help for Native Races
\ LTHOUGH Dr. C. Y. Shephard went A to Fiji about April, 1944 to report on the dispute between the GSR Co. and Indian sugar-growers, for the British Government, he has been doing other work for the Colony itself, and in October he submitted a report on what he considers should be the agricultural policy r°nmon 5 fn^hefuture 11 8 C Shenh is clrnegie Professor of Fpmnmt?in d the Imperial College of
?mm ? cal ARricultSe Trinidad
H?s reoort and recommendations cover ■Piii RSI the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, and Tonga and it comes within the scope nf Fiii’s Reconstruction programme. It is and lengthy report A summary of Dr Shephard’s recommendations is as fniinwq-
lonows -
ADVISORY and extension work carried out by the Department of Agriculture should be based on the results of scientifically conducted experiments.
The Department of Agriculture should embrace the territories of the Western Pacific High Commissioner, in addition to the Colony of Fiji. These territories should contribute to the maintenance of the headquarters staff, which would include a Director of Agriculture, an Assistant Director of Agriculture, a soil chemist, an entomologist, a.plant.breeder offlcers Path ° S The ', C ° St o 0 U 0 e C n a ded e tho“ n tml
bv' "the y administrations concerned, but
officers should be liable for transfer within
Fiji and the other territorial groups.
The Imperial College of Tropical Agri culture should be invited to conduct, at an early date, a scientific survey of agri cultural problems in the Western Pacific and to advise on a programme of agri cultural investigation.
Improved salary scales are recom mended.
The agricultural training of youths as peasant farmers in Fiji should be under taken by the Department of Education.
The training of subordinate field staff of the Department of Agriculture and of the Native Administrations, and also the training in agriculture of rural teachers, should fie undertaken by the Department of Agriculture. The training of Depart mental staff should be centred in Fiji.
The policy of the Department of Agri culture should be closely co-ordinated with that of the administration of the territory concerned.' The Imperial College of Tropical Agri culture should be invited to undertake a soils reconnaissance survey of the*major islands in Fiji and the Western Pacific High Commission territories.
A soils chemist should be permanently appointed to the headquarters staff of the Department of Agriculture.
The possibility of the re-establishment of the cocoa industry in Fiji and its extension to the British Solomon Islands Protectorate and Tonga should be thor oughly examined, and the introduction of selections from Trinidad should be pro ceeded with.
The Department of Agriculture, Fiji, should be relieved of certain of its pre
sent executive functions in order to make possible the greater application of avail able staff and facilities to investigation.
The services of a statistician should be secured to advise on the collection and compilation of agricultural statistics in Fiji.
Two principal and four subsidiary ex periment stations are required in Fiji, three in the British Solomon Islands Pro tectorate, and one station each in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony and Tonga. The investigational work on these stations should be co-ordinated to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort.
The headquarters staff of the Director of Agriculture should be transferred from Suva to the principal experiment station in eastern Viti Levu.
The Colonial Sugar Refining Company Limited, should continue to be responsible for advisory and extension work amongst cane farmers in Fiji. Similar work amongst native farmers throughout the four Groups should be carried out through existing native administrative organisa tions.
The Native Lands Trust Board (of Fiji) should be provided with the requi site staff and means to manage lands entrusted to its care to secure (i) the eli mination of speculations in leases, (ii) greater security of tenure for worthy tenants, (iii) the eviction of tenants who abuse land, (iv) the active participation of the Board in the development and management of land, and (v) the con solidation of sub-divided holdings into farms of economic size.
The proposed Land Agent of the Native Land Trust Board and Assistant Land Agents should be sent to the United Kingdom for training in estate manage ment and should visit Porto Rico to study soil conservation methods.