Growers

New Guinea Rice

An Enterprise Near Lae

Elsewhere, in this issue, the PIM editor tells the story of how, under direction of Miss Dorothy Stewart, of Lae, he planned to go out to the Nadzab area, in the Markham Valley of New Guinea, and to see how some half-dozen indomitable young Australians are trying to grow rice; and of how they were turned back by a flooded river.

Miss Stewart never gives up. She writes that, within a week, she completed the expedition, and per sonally examined the rice-peanut growing industry near Nadzab.

AT the moment there is no land available for selection in the area. Administration have bought areas from natives in the past, and Europeans have applied for a total of 2,000 acres. . Apparently, one needs from 1,000 to 1,500 acres to make rice pay. Out of this one drops the stony ridges, and will possibly retain about 400 acres of good rice ground. 1 o 9£ e man has 640 acres. One has 1,800 acres, and he leases some of it to men without land, who have planted peanuts and who intend later to follow with rice.

Administration appear to have no plans for getting more native land to hand over to Europeans. Yet there is quite a large area around Nad za b which is open grass country used hy natives.

They burn it about twice a year, to get the small animals out roasted alive—a tasty dish. Now there is a new law which says a native S a dm?p 0t a fi r e - Yet nothing is done about opening the land for Europeans, There is not a big native population-3 villages in 30 g mfles o m ? n , at Nadzab are doing th Job ‘ T h t y . have factors there, and are lashing around the at f peed - The y have accom pnshed a tremendous amount in a short time.

About 80 acres are in one lot of peanuts. One field is up to small bushes and looked good.

Some of the chaps, in partner ship, have asked for 3,500 acres— and may get 2,000. This is appar ently the last land the Administra tion took over from natives, and which has not been decided yet.

The disconcerting thing is that

the Administration does not seem to be interesting itself in the matter. The boys club in together and one works on the road while the other works the farm' anri if they go brXe on Srm then the farm type just goes back to work. No backing of the oroiect with Government cash—no P loin S t or anything.