Weather Aids W. Samoan

Production

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, March 15. rE approaching end of the rainy season has been marked by heavy and incessant rains and oppressively hot weather.

The heavy rainfall has, however, bene fited banana plantations and, in conse quence, banana shipments to New Zea land are increasing from month to month. From an all-time low of less than 3,000 cases per month, about six months ago, shipments rose to over 10,000 cases last month. Further rapid increases are confidently expected. These will be greatly welcomed not only by Samoan producers but also by New Zea land consumers.

The good prices still ruling for copra and cocoa are stimulating production and to some degree counteract the depression of trade which had set in owing to the departure of American Defence Forces.

There is also available now an ample supply of Samoan plantation labour for European plantations, thus enabling own ers to clean up and weed those holdings which previously had been neglected owing to the difficulty of obtaining suffi cient assistance.