Copra Production
pp. 21-22 · Read in the full issue
Indonesia’S
Growing
rPHE weight of Indonesian copra, hitting the world market, is an increasing factor in depressing the world price.
Indonesia, after being more or less out of the market since 1941, began exporting again in 1951, and in the first five months of 1952 a total of 154,241 tons of copra was shipped away—2B,3s4 tons in May.
It was estimated, 20 years ago, that the Netherlands Indies supplied 40 per cent, of the world’s copra. In the ’Thirties, the total copra brought into the world’s market was around 1,000,000 tons per annum—and the Netherlands Indies provided about
400.000 tons of this. About 200,000 tons came from the Philippines, and most of the remainder from Ceylon and Straits Settlements. It is in dicated, therefore, that the export of 154.000 tons in five months may mean that Indonesia is getting back towards pre-war production.
British Producers Lucky
Mr. B. Lowe, who arrived in New Zealand in July, had been in charge of the Eastern Samoa copra fund and trade scheme. He stated that Western Samoa and British Islands Territories were now “exceedingly fortunate” to be under the British Ministry of Food Copra Contracts.
Eastern Samoa copra had fallen in price this year from $260 to $l3O
per ton. The Eastern Samoan copra industry was also feeling the ill ef fects of the Pacific Coast shipping strike which had halted shipments of copra from the Pacific.