NZ’s Responsibility To

Island Growers Professor Peren Sums Up In An Interesting Booklet

ALTHOUGH Professor G. S. Peren, Principal of the Massey Agricultural College, New Zealand, paid a semi official visit to Fiji, Western Samoa and the Cook Islands in July-August, 1947, his report (in the form of a small book let), was not published until the end of 1948.

However, it is safe to say that few, if any, changes were made in the agri cultural set-up in these territories tn the interval and Professor Peren’s observa tions and remarks are still much to the point.

Professor Peren, as many others before him, wonders why there is not better liaison between the various administra tions of the islands north of New Zealand —particularly in such matters as agri culture, where each island group could assist its neighbour by pooling personnel and experience. Possibly the South Pacific Commission’s committee on agri culture-, when it gets itself organised sufficiently, will be able to assist along these lines; but there seems no immediate prospect of Professor Peren’s plan for a combined agricultural service for Fiji, Samoa and Cook Islands coming to fruition, although it has much to commend it.

Nor has there been any improvement in the shipping problem since the professor visited the Islands almost 18 months ago.

The “Matua” and the “Maui Pomare” are still the only ships available to bring produce from New Zealand’s Islands neighbours. If these ships, by themselves, were considered inadequate for the job before the war, then they are much more so in the post-war period when, due to protracted turn-around in ports, the ships make fewer trips per year. Yet, until better transport is assured, stepping up production in the islands, by better agricultural methods, or in any other way, is a waste of time. Nonetheless, New Zealand, Professor Peren thinks, has an obligation to the Islands—particularly to her own territories of Western Samoa and Cook Islands, As a partial solution to transport difficulties he suggests air freight at much reduced cost.

THESE points were made by Professor Peren in respect of the two New Zealand territories he visited; WESTERN SAMOA. The soil is vol canic and very fertile but, due to out crops of scoria, even on the flats and gentle slopes, it is impossible to culti vate anything that needs ploughing.

The best crops are those already being grown—cocoa, bananas and coconuts.

Cocoa is Samoa’s most important in dustry at present; but, due to unrestricted cross-pollination, the types of trees being grown vary so widely that practically no two are alike. This must result, says Professor Peren, in the quality of cocoa beans varying from tree to tree. In any advanced agricultural country this prob lem—which must inevitably affect Western Samoa’s reputation in overseas markets —would have been tackled long ago. Its solution would present no great difficulty to a trained plant breeder.

COOK ISLANDS. Professor Peren’s impression was that the population pf the Cook Islands was suspended between two civilizations—European and Poly nesian—and was therefore going through a difficult transition period. This was

not helped by the dependence on two crops—oranges and tomatoes —the pro duction of which was subjected to the whimsies of erratic shipping.

A considerable proportion of the citrus crops is still harvested from seedling trees which get no attention whatsoever.

They bear remarkably; but, realising that this will not last indefinitely the Administration has established its own citrus nurseries for replanting. The fostering of the Cook Islands citrus in dustry is not always popular with citrus growers in the North Island of New Zealand, but the Cook Islands can pro duce types of citrus that cannot be pro duced in the colder NZ latitudes. The Cook Islands are capable of producing not only what New Zealanders refer to as the “Island orange” but every modern variety of citrus, including the best quality Californian-type grapefruit.

Professor Peren also suggests an over all guaranteed price for Cook Islands

citrus. The Islanders were unable to understand either the fluctuation of prices in overseas markets or the periodic gluts which force prices down. Conse quently, when the price of citrus is low they allow the fruit to rot on the trees as they feel that they are being taken advantage of.

The Professor also urged, both for Western Samoa and the Cook Islands, the planting of quick-growing timber suitable for the making of fruit cases.

All fruit cases had to be imported and cost the grower something like 4/- each.

In Fiji, cases were made locally from native timbers.

After a visit to England to attend the Lambeth Conference, the Bishop of Melanesia (Bishop Caulton) returned to the Solomon Islands in “Southern Cross”, which arrived at Point Cruz (Honiara) on January 26 after a trying three weeks journey from Auckland.