Cacao Bean Production In Australia

And New Guinea

Manufacturers and Union Put Case to Minister

IN Canberra, on November 26, the Minister for External Terri tories (Mr. E. J. Ward, MHR) told a deputation representing t*he Aus tralian confectionery industry that he would investigate the possibilities of large scale cacao bean production in Northern Australia and New Guinea. Indications are that steps already have been taken in the mat ter, Mr. W. Cotterell-Dormer, head of the New Guinea Department of Ag riculture, having sent an officer to Trinidad for two years to study all aspects of cacao bean production. rE deputation consisted of Messrs. R.

S. Jackson (Federal president) and Mr P. J. Lucas (Federal secretary), of the Federated Confectioners’ Associa tion of Australia; Mr. S, R. Johnson, secretary Commonwealth Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturers’ Associa tion; Mr. H. Small, of H. Small & Co.

Pty., Ltd., Sydney; Mr. J. D. Francis, well known Sydney manufacturer: Mr. J. Pear son, Mac Robertson Pty., Ltd., Melbourne; Mr. W. Rudder, Nestle ASCM (A’sia) Ltd., Sydney; and Mr. T. Coggans, James Stedman Henderson’s Sweets Ltd., Sydney. Senator T. M. Nicholls, hon. secretary of the South Australian Branch of the Federated Confectioners’ Associa tion, arranged the deputation.

Mr. Jackson outlined the resolution passed at the recent bi-annual meeting of the Union’s Federal Council that the Government be approached on the cacao bean position and stressed the serious effect a shortage of beans would have upon the manufacturing confectionery industry. The Union requested the Minister to look into the possibilities of establishing cacao bean production in Northern Australia and New Guinea.

OTHER speakers on the deputation supported Mr. Jackson. They ex plained that the industry required a long-range plan covering supplies of cacao beans to Australia. Maximum New Guinea production totalled about 300 tons of beans whereas it was esti mated that Australia required at present between 14,000 and 15,000 tons, and in seven or eight years that figure was ex pected to grow to 19,000 tons. If the industry could be successfully established in New Guinea, production in 10 years' time might reach 20,000 tons. It was agreed that the Australian confectionery industry might not require all of this cacao, but the surplus could be exported in the form of beans or as manufactured confectionery. The value of a cacao bean industry close to Australia in time of war did not require any emphasis.

THE deputation suggested an Advisory Committee be set up to advise upon the quality, grading and types of cacao bean required by Australia. It was pointed out that beans coming from New Guinea at present left much to be desired as far as grading, fermentation and standardisation of packing was con cerned. A manufacturer who bought a ton of beans from New Guinea was likely to get a mixture of half ripe and fully ripe beans in a variety of bags, large and small.

It was appreciated that the industry was in its infancy in New Guinea, and similar difficulties were encountered with Accra cacao beans when the Gold Coast first started large-scale production. Over a period of years methods of fermenta tion, grading and packing showed a great improvement. If that could be done in

West Africa then it could be done in Australia and New Guinea.

To-day Australian manufacturers could not use New Guinea beans alone. They were used as “filler” beans and were blended with better quality beans from Trinidad, Ceylon, etc.

If an advisory body were set up it was suggested that manufacturers, the Union, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the New Guinea Depart ment of Agriculture be represented with a chairman appointed by the Government.

THE anomalous position in which Aus tralia was placed when buying cacao beans, compared with sterling and dollar countries, was also explained to the Minister.

America to-day was enjoying great prosperity and this, together with natural increases in consumption and other factors, had so greatly increased that country’s demands that it was prepared to pay phenomenal prices to obtain its requirements. The purchasing power of the dollar, increased by exchange ad vantages, enabled America and Canada to buy at a 50 per cent, advantage over Australia.

Mr. Ward gave sympathetic considera tion to the representations and promised to have his officers investigate the matter thoroughly. He said that before such a large-scale programme could be under taken there were a number of problems in New Guinea to be settled.