Cacao Bean Supplies
pp. 37-38 · Read in the full issue
Deputation Met Ministers On November 26
A DEPUTATION representative of the Australian confectionery industry conferred with the Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator B. Courtice)
and the Minister for External Teritories (Mr. E. J. Ward, MHR) at Canberra on November 26 on Australia’s cacao bean supplies.
Messrs. R. S. Jackson (Federal presi dent) and P. J. Lucas (Federal secretary) represented the Federated Confec tioners’ Association of Australia, and Mr.
Samuel Johnson (secretary) the Com monwealth Chocolate & Confectionery Manufacturers’ Association. Senator T.
M, Nicholls, hon. secretary of the South Australian Branch of the Union, arranged the interview with the two Ministers.
The meeting follows a decision by the Federal Council of the Union in Adelaide some weeks ago to approach the Govern ment on cacao bean supplies for the industry. The Government was asked to investigate the possibilities of estab lishing the cacao bean industry in New and northern areas of Australia.
Prices Still Mounting
AUSTRALIAN chocolate manufac turers are alarmed at reports that American buyers are paying prices 40-50 per cent, in advance of last year for the 1947-48 world cacao bean crop.
It is considered too early yet to estimate the prices that will rule when the Aus tralian allocation is made, but it is thought that the eager and expensive buying by Americans makes it likely that prices will reach a record high. (Ed. Note: The outcome of the con ference is not known. It is likely, how ever. that Mr.* Ward dispensed his usual soothing phrases. No doubt he also told the representatives of the confectionery industry that all will be well when his plan for native agriculture is in full flower —perhaps in 2000 AD. Some planter in New Britain should take it upon him self to acquaint Australian confectioners of the real state of the planting indus try in New Guinea.)