Fiji Indians' Staple Foods

in Short Supply Drastic Order to Conserve Rice

Suva. Aug. 3.

A LARGE quantity of rice is eaten, normally, in Fiji—mostly by the Indians. Some is grown in Fiji; but, until the Pacific war came, the greater part was imported from Burma or Indo china. When the Japs invaded these countries, Fiji bought Australian rice.

Fiji also imported very large quantities of Australian flour and sharps.

Now, owing to drought in Australia, and the diversion of the reduced Australian output to meet more urgent needs else where, there is no more Australian rice for Fiji. The amount of Australian sharps available also is less. Fiji, therefore, must eat more Australian flour —and the Aus tralian flour price has risen lately by 40 per cent.—which means that the Fiji loaf has risen from Bd. to 9!d. or lOd.

Thus there has been created for Fiji generally, and for the Indian community in particular, an embarrassing food prob lem. There is a shortage of both rice and sharps, and a rise in price of the only alternative, wheaten flour. There are 113,000 Fijians, 113,000 Indians, and about 10,000 Europeans and others to be fed.

In a series of special Orders, issued to day, the Government has taken steps to: (a) reserve all remaining stocks of rice in Fiji or arriving in Fiji for the use of the traditional rice-eaters, and of others who need rice on medical grounds; (b) make flour and sharps (where sharps are procurable) available to take the place of rice; (c) subsidise flour importations, so that the Colony as a whole will bear the higher cost of the flour, and there will be no increase in the price of bread.

As from to-day, no European or Fijian may hold or acquire rice without a licence.

THE shortage of rice now is very acute, and is likely to remain so for several months. In fact, there is no pros pect of relief until more rice is grown in Australia, or in Fiji, or until supplies are again available from Asia.

There is no reason why Fiji should not grow all its own rice requirements, except lack of enterprise and industry. Burma rice always has under-sold the local pro duct, however; and although ricefields and ricemills are found in most parts of Fiji, the Indian rice-growers never have made a concerted effort, although fre quently urged to do so by the Govern ment. The situation may be expected to change now; but it may take a year to develop new production on a large scale.

There is an abundance of native food stuffs in Fiji—taro, cassava (or arrow root), corn, bananas, pineapples, and, of course, the übiquitous coconut). The situa tion will not trouble the Europeans or Fijians very much; and, if it establishes the Fijian rice industry on a sound basis, it will have compensating features.