NZ Criticism of Islands

Fruit Causes Commotion

From Our Own Corresponded.

Suva, Feb. 20.

rHE commotion at Suva when re ports arrived that New Zea landers were criticising the uality of bananas exported from ■iji had some amusing angles, but ; was also encouraging.

It is clear that New Zealanders, anana-starved for years and specially since the 1952 hurricane riped out the Fijian plantations, ave a grievance; but to place the lame on the right shoulders is not asy.

First, the local Agriculture De

artment, metaphorically lifting its

ands in horror, pointed out that [though a considerable part of New ealand’s banana imports goes from iji, supplies are also provided by amoa, Tonga and Niue; and that i Fiji the shippers have inspectors t every banana-packing post, that le shippers themselves receive a onus for every case of bananas lat reaches New Zealand in really ood condition, and that, at the uva wharf, a proportion of the ises are opened and tested.

Simultaneously the PRO photo rapher, Mr. Rob Wright, came up ith an illustration. While on leave, e had seen in an Auckland shop ime deplorable, “pig-feed” bananas hich were said to be from Fiji, ut he discovered that they had >me out of a case with a Tongan bel, and had been ripened by be ig stacked round an electric light ilb inside another case.

On the day following New Zea nd’s complaints, the Tofua was at le King’s Wharf loading bananas ir Auckland. Also at the wharf as Fiji’s Governor, Sir Ronald arvey, in company with the irector of Agriculture (Mr. C. arvey), and other officials. Sir onald looked into things briskly id knowledgeably. He then met nion Co. officials and went on >ard the Tofua to inspect the dp’s modern refrigeration system.

On that day (February 5) the ofua loaded only 7,000 cases at iva, presumably because the ironic shortage of fruit-cases con aues to restrict shipments.

Now come more reports from ew Zealand which indicate that imoa is on the mat for shipping manas of inferior quality. At the me time, although some of the ird words about Fiji have been eely withdrawn, Fiji’s banana ex >rts are not entirely exonerated, hatever the cause, post-war lands fruit (not necessarily from iji) has declined in quality as uch as it has increased in price.

A suggestion has been made that 1 cases of bananas exported lould be clearly labelled “FIJI”, lus putting the onus on the in

dustry as a whole to maintain the highest possible standard at all stages, with the one alternative of facing the consequences at the con suming end.

Mrs. A. Hurley, after spending three months with her daughter in Auckland, returned to Suva in Feb ruary.

AT RIGHT: Mrs. B. Esposito, of Lae, New Guinea, and her daughter Lesley, who left for NG after holidays in Syd ney by QEA on February 17. Mr.

Esposito is on the staff of the Papua and New Guinea Supply Co. (Lucas and Ducrow), at Lae.