Fiji's Forestry Policy

Dollar Saving is Immediate Need

Prom Our Own Correspondent

„ SUVA, March 22. 11/tHEN Mr. A. A. Ragg produced a T? motion in the Fiji Legislative Council recently, calling for more use of Fiji’s timber resources, the saving of dollars by cutting timber imports, and the immediate reafforestation of all areas which have already been denuded of timber, everybody agreed in principle.

The motion, however, was pruned before it went through.

The Director of Agriculture (Mr. C.

Harvey) said he was pleased at the “change of heart” of the unofficial mem bers who were disinterested in forestry in the past but pointed out that immediate reafforestation of only 10,000 acres would cost £lOO,OOO even if the trained staff to do the job were in existence, which it is not. He concluded by saying that, in any case, the Government is planning a long-term and a short term forestry policy, for the next sitting of the Council.

Mr. Ragg’s motion was accordingly whittled down to a plea for dollar-saving utilisation of Fiji’s resources and an affirmation that a long-range policy of reafforestation should be initiated “as soon as possible.”