NG Highlands
p. 45 · Read in the full issue
Passionfruit Industry in NG Highlands
From Our Own Correspondent
Port Moresby, Jan. 24.
k ROUND 30 tons of passion- U fruit pulp will be processed at Goroka, New Guinea Central ighlands, this year by Cottees assiona Limited, and the first atch of fruit has already gone trough the factory.
The Secretary of the company, [r. E. Wrighter, who returned to ydney in January after visiting oroka, said that this year the first lit of the factory was only operat ig to keep faith with the few rowers who had fruit available, eal commercial operation could it start for about a year as it ould take this time for the passion uit seedlings, planted three to iur months ago, to reach maturity, y the time the main crop began i yield, the Cottee factory would 3 large enough to handle any nount of passion fruit which could ; produced in the Goroka district.
So far, approximately 100,000 ledlings have been distributed by le company’s Goroka agent, Mr. . Greathead, and the Agricultural Officer in the area. And hile it is unlikely that all the idlings have been cherished, lurished and otherwise properly ired for (or even planted) a very >od percentage has been estab ;hed in both European and native issionfruit plots. These are show ig excellent growth, and things iem fairly well set for the develop ed of a very valuable industry . the Goroka area.
Mr. Wrighter said he thought the me was not ripe for talking about ie company’s long-range plans in oroka —they would concentrate on ;tting the passionfruit industry ell established first. But he did mcede that later there was a good lance of other fruits being pre ssed, such as cape-gooseberries id strawberries, both of which •ow well in the Goroka area of ie Highlands; and perhaps the anufacture of peanut butter might welop also. Right now, however, st a small section of the factory is been erected and is in use, and ie project itself is still in its in ,ncy. When the factory is com eted and comes into large-scale 'eduction, the passionfruit pulp ill be frozen at Goroka, flown out • Lae, and sent to Australia by a in refrigeration cargo space, here the firm will manufacture it to the various types of passion uit products already on the arket. Mr. Wrighter said the lality of Goroka passionfruit was ; least equal to that produced in iistralia.
Mr. E. T. Fulton returned from elbourne to his New Britain plan tion on January Bulolo.