Samoa’S Banana Industry

In Doldrums

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, February 21.

WHEN, in 1928, Western Samoa began to export bananas to New Zealand, it was firmly predicted that the new industry would be the mainstay of Samoa’s economy and would be very considerably expanded. A special banana carrier was purchased to cater for the trade and with ample transport available, well over 200,000 cases per year were for warded to New Zealand.

Revenue from the new industry was of great help to growers, during the long years when cocoa and copra prices were low, and even during the war years re gular banana shipments to New Zealand did not cease. Rigid inspection of the fruit in Samoa assured buyers in New Zealand of a uniform high quality and Samoan bananas had a good reputation on the New Zealand market.

During the post-war years, however, the situation has gradually changed. For a time it seemed as if the development of the new dried-banana (banana figs) in dustry by the New Zealand Reparation Estates and private enterprise would give an impetus to the banana industry, but after several years of flourishing existence, the dried-banana industry gradually faded out, the demand ceased altogether and the money invested in banana driers was lost.

Then the Maui Pomare was withdrawn from the Samoan run and put on the Cook Islands and Niue run and Samoa became entirely dependent on the limited space allocations of the Union Co’s Matua for banana exports. The Government had encouraged growers to extend their plan tations, as the New Zealand market seemed to absorb any quantity of Samoan bananas, but transport difficulties in creased from year to year and growers who could obtain only a portion of the space required for their crop, and saw their labour wasted, grew tired of con tinuous disappointment and turned to cocoa and coconuts, encouraged by the high prices ruling for these products.

Only recently statements were made that New Zealand would be able to take all the bananas Western Samoa could pro duce. Such promises are valueless to the growers if they are not accompanied by a guarantee of fixed monthly allocations of space for a sufficient number of cases.

Failing this guarantee, it can safely be predicted that the banana industry is bound to fade out completely.

The determined efforts of the Fiji Gov ernment to increase banana production to some 400,000 cases per year is bound to increase competition in the New Zealand market. It has been suggested that the private company which has taken over the former Government monopoly for the import of islands fruit into New Zealand, has invested capital in the Fiji banana in dustry and is, therefore, not interested in Samoan bananas. Whether this is true or not, it remains a fact that New Zea land has a greater responsibility to safe guard the interests of her Samoan Trus teeship Territory than to give preference to Fiji bananas. (EDITORIAL NOTE: The growing of Fiji bananas is in the hands of native Fijians. The projected increase in Fiji banana production has been organised and fostered by the Fiji Department of Agri culture without any guarantee from the NZ Government. Matua, which carries Samoan bananas, is also the only vessel regularly carrying bananas from Suva to NZ. it seems unlikely that the new NZ : fruit importing company has any interest, financial or otherwise, in Fiji banana growing other than the natural desire to

supply customers in NZ with bananas which have been extremely scarce for the last 10 years. The Fiji Department of Agri culture’s banana boosting policy has, no doubt, been based on the expectation that the USS Go’s new ship, Tagua, will be on the Islands’ run next year. There seems no reason why Samoan banana growers should not similarly plan ahead.) Mr. O’Rourke, a New Zealand police officer, has taken over as Chief of Police, Niue, from Constable J. Flynn, who re turned to NZ.

According to Mr. William Schleusner, a planter in the Popendetta district, Papua, who arrived in Brisbane on February 2, plantations near Higatura will eventually be worked again. His own plantation had at first appeared ruined, but he thought that it would recover within a few years.

Miss Joan Read, well-known radio personality of Sydney, was married on February 24 to Mr. Don Watson, of Fiji.