Interesting Change-Over In New Guinea

Copra Control

Unconfirmed Reports That Agriculture Dept.’s ‘Project Scheme’

Will Encourage Native Production

THE nature of the organisation which is to be set up in Papua-New Guinea to take the place of the Production Con trol Board (the pending demise of which was announced some three months ago by the Australian Minister for External Ter itories) was still a mystery in the early part of October.

The Territories’ copra producers were naturally most interested: but the De paitment of External Territories would vouchsafe no information. Up to the pre sent, the PCB is continuing to buy all copra at the equivalent of about £4O/17/6 Australian, in store, Rabaul.

The general belief among Sydney copra interests, in early October, was that all controls would be taken off European grown copra at an early date; that such copra would be handled through the usual trading channels; but that the Govern ment would retain full control over copra produced by natives.

The “PIM” has been informed, on what appears to be good authority, that a section of the Papua-New Guinea Depart ment of Agriculture called the Project Scheme, is being organised to take over from PCB the responsibility of buying and shipping all native copra produced in the Territories. The Project Scheme will organise and encourage the native com munities to produce copra, and will buv their product. “Project Officers” are be mg sent out to various Territories centres. . Mr - J an MacDonald, native plantation inspector under the Agricultural Depart ment, has been appointed head of the Project Scheme. He has been recently in Sydney and Canberra, and has been in c ? n J£ r £ nce , with Mr - Archer, head P S B - That gave rise t 0 a report that the Department of Agriculture is to take over from PCB; but there is no confirma tion of this.

An official announcement is expected soon to clarify the position.

THE New Guinea Planters’ Association is hoping that it may be given an opportunity of taking some part “to® matter, once the PCB control is liited. It is known that Australia, as a whole, requires about 25,000 tons per annum of NG copra; and, as the produc tion is now about 40,000 tons per annum, and increasing steadily, the combined Planters think they may have a chance of influencing the marketing over seas of the 15,000 tons or more, surplus, getting thus the benefit of either the higher British price (at least £lO per ton better than the Australian-controlled price) or the world price (which may be anything from £2O to £3O per ton better than the British-controlled price) The New Guinea Planters’ Association suffered recently a severe loss in the sud den death of its secretary, Mr. W. R. B.

Thomas; and it in consequence is under some disadvantage in dealing with the foregoing situation. It is reported to be seeking the services of an organising secretary, at about £l,OOO per annum.

' T is not to be expected that the Aus tralian Government, in removing PCB control, will surrender also the right it now has to pay NG producers what ever price it thinks fit for the copra wanted for Australian consumption.

Australia wants 25,000 tons per annum; and, presumably, the NG growers will have to supply this to Australia at Aus

tralia’s price. The balance (about 15,000 tons per annum at present) will go over seas, at a higher price. How are the NG planters going to get the average of the two (or more) markets? No one knows, yet. It looks as if there will have to be some sort of pool.

Probably, when the Australian Minister makes his announcement he will say something about that stabilisation fund.

Canberra, for a year or more, has been taking £6 and £8 per ton from the price paid to the NG and Papua planters, for some vague purpose called “stabilisation of the market.” There must be now be tween £lOO,OOO and £200,000 in that fund.

What is the total? Who is holding the fund? How is it to be distributed, in the event of its (a) being needed for “stabil isation”; or (b) not so needed?

These are questions which ought to be answered—otherwise, the whole set-up will begin to look “queer.”

British Ministry’S Proposed

Guarantee

IT was announced in “PIM” in September that, with a view to, stabilising the copra industry in Fiji, Gilbert and Ellice, Solomon and Tonga Groups, the British Ministry of Food had offered coconut planters a guaranteed price, as follows; For 3 years (1949-51)—£51 Sterling per ton for 1949; and not less than £43 in 1950 and 1951; OR For 9 years (1949-57)—to start at £4B Stg.; and the price in each succeed ing year to be negotiated, but not to move up or down in any one year by more than 10 per cent.

The matter has been under considera tion by the Fiji copra-growers. By an almost unanimous vote, the Suva Chamber of Commerce, in September, advised the copra-producers to accept the nine-year purchase contract offered by the British Ministry.

The idea of a guaranteed copra price has been received with great interest throughout the Pacific; and the eyes of

growers in the Australian Territories have been turned hopefully on Mr, Ward. He had made no move up to October 12, however. .The „ P P B now Pays NG producers £4O/17/6, in Rabaul. It bears the follow ing Costs: Export duty, £3/1/6; stabilisa tion fund, £B/5/0; freight Rabaul-Aust., £3/6/0; handling, etc., £5/10/0; total. £2O/2/6; grand total, £6l. The copra is sold in Australia at £6l.

Fiji’S New Copra Bill

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Sep. 12

IJIS second Copra Bill will not be introduced until the November ses sion of the Fiji Legislative Council.

By this date, it is hoped, Fiji planters, will have an effective organisation which will represent them in negotiations with the Government.

Copra Producers Incorporated

—New Fiji Assn.

AT a meeting held in Suva on Septem ber 20, an association—Copra Pro ducers Incorporated—was formed to protect and further the interests of copra growers in Fiji.

Major W. E. Willoughby Tottenham was elected president and Mr. G. D. C.

Sandiford, vice-president. Committee members are Messrs. G. Barratt Senr s - K - Borron, J. M. Hedstrom Jnr!, W. G. Johnson, W. G. Mackay, G. C.

McGowan and C. G. O. Parr. Mr. C. R.

Stephen was elected auditor and Mr T Taverner secretary.

Membership of the association will be open to producers of five tons of copra or more a year, who have freehold title or a leasehold or who are producing copra under a licence or arrangement with the owner of such land. * n reply to a question by Mr. S. H.

Wilson it was stated at the inaugural meeting that under the rules Fijian pro ducers could become members of the As sociation, and that they would be wel comed. Fijians produce about 60 per cent of the Colony’s copra.

At the end of 1946 the reserve funds of Fiji were as follows: General Revenue Balance, £987,474; Emergency Reserve Fund, £140,000; General Revenue Fund. £140,000; Total, £1,267,474.