Copra Production Up in
p. 87 · Read in the full issue
P-Ng
COPRA exports from New Guinea and Papua totalled 73,000 tons or the eight months July 1 to the ;nd of February, 1952. For the intire year ending June 1951, exports imounted to 70,000 tons.
The quantities exported in the ight months consisted of 50,000 tons rom New Britain, New Ireland and >ther Islands, 15,000 tons from >apua. and 8,000 tons from the >Jew Guinea mainland other than *apua. (Immediate pre-war produc ion of both Territories was 80,000 d 86,000 tons per annum.) Papua-New Guinea copra produc ion in February, 1952, reached its ighest level since the war, totalling ,033 tons. Production figures for lie year ending January 31, 1952, /as 72,025 tons made up as follows: Papua: Heat and sun dried, 9,532 ms. Smoke dried, 3,541 tons (27 er cent, of total).
New Guinea Mainland: Heat and un dried, 5,700 tons. Smoke dried ,977 tons (34 per cent, of total).
New Guinea Islands: Heat and un dried, 31,149 tons. Smoke dried, 9,126 (38 per cent, of total).
There has been a sharp increase in the proportion of smoke-dried copra.
This is regarded as an undesirable development as the Australian copra market requires only per cent, of its total needs in smoke-dried grade. This means that, as the ad
ditional smoke-dried copra cannot be used in Australia, shipping space has to be found for its export to the United Kingdom which takes all copra in excess of Australian needs.
Such shipping space is difficult to arrange.