Samoan Cocoa

Exports Up-Quality Down

From Our Own Correspondent

Apia. Nov. 17.

DURING November the Matson cargo vessel Alameda lifted 400 tons of Samoan cocoabeans onsigned to USA buyers, while the iS Waitomo took an additional 140 ons consigned to England.

There are still large quantities f cocoabeans stored in Apia sheds waiting shipment.

The price has lately dropped to 200-£2lO f.o.b. Apia; from the pre ious quotation of £240-£250.

Complaints have recently been nade regarding deterioration in the uality of Samoan cocoabeans which iow constitute the most valuable xport from the Territory—for the Lrst time in Samoan trade history ocoa surpasses copra exports in alue.

The deterioration in quality is due o several causes, but mainly to the ut-throat competition of trading tores in outside districts of Upolu ,nd Savaii. Many of these stores lave been opened during tecent ears by the large Apia concerns ,nd small independent, Samoan and lart-Samoan traders in cocoa dis ricts and in order to survive the trong competition, both new and ild traders accept cocoabeans of

fered by Samoan growers even if drying and fermentation are not up to standard.

The long dry spell in the middle of the current year has also con tributed to low quality cocoabeans, not only of those produced by Samoan growers, but also of those produced by European cocoa planters.

An increasing proportion of Samoan cocoabeans are graded second quality to the detriment of producers who receive smaller re turns for their product.

This year’s export of cocoabeans is bound, however, to constitute, in quantity at least, an all time record, as it is expected to exceed 3,000 tons.