Commercial Kenaf Production
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
Awaits Govt. “Go” Signal
The production of fibre from kenaf is still in the experimental stage in Papua—and probably will remain so until large-scale production gets some form of Government assistance.
THE 15,000 acres of land at Oro Bay which last year were granted Eriama Estates Ltd., the private interests which have fostered kenaf growing in Papua, are still idle. The area planted to kenaf by the company is still re stricted to about 300 acres near Port Moresby.
Mr. R. A. Colyer, who has done more than anyone else to establish the industry in P-NG, is at present in America. In an interview with PIM, published in April, 1954, he said: “I feel that I have done all that an individual can do. . . A lot of the onus must now be thrown on the Australian Government to ensure that this new industry is properly developed.” This is how the matter still stands, four months later.
Two of the Eriama directors left Sydney for Port Moresby in early August. They were Mr. H. J.
McCann, who is also general man ager of Commonwealth Wool and Produce Co. Ltd., Sydney; and Mr.
A. G. T. Carver, who is the Eriama director representing the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Ltd. They are expected to have discussions there on kenaf growing with the Admin istration and the Dept, of Agri culture.
The future of the kenaf industry will be discussed at high Govern ment level in Australia soon. Pre liminary talks were held some months ago before the Australian general elections.
About 3,000 wool packs made from kenaf produced at Eriama, near Port Moresby, have already been used in Australia. Some of them have been returned, refilled, and are back on Sydney wool floors for the opening of the new wool selling season on August 30.
Those that have been returned are in excellent condition, and sat isfactory reports on their quality have been received from growers, brokers and buyers.
Another lot of new packs made from kenaf will also go into ser vice this season.
The packs now in use have been released at the normal price of jute packs, 15/6 each, but that is well below the cost of production under
experimental conditions.
Forty-two post offices in PNG handled 6,000,000 postal articles for the year ending June, 1954. More than half were handled in New Guinea post offices.