Is This the End of Kenaf?
p. 21 · Read in the full issue
Official Attitude to P-NG Experiment
After a fanfare of publicity regarding the intention of the Australian Government to encourage the development of the Kenaf industry in Papua (as a protection for the Australian users of cornsacks and woolpacks against the rapacities of the jute monopolists) there has been a complete silence.
PRIVATE enterprise in Papua proved that the production of Kenaf fibre was practicable— and then waited to see what pro tection was to be given.
Finally, the editor of the PIM wrote and asked the Minister for Territories whether there was to be protection. The Minister replied that the people concerned had never asked for protection; and, if they wanted it, “there was a well-defined procedure involved.” The Minister’s letter continues.
"The Government has given consider able encouragement to the establishment of the kenaf industry in Papua and New Guinea, including— (a) investigations into kenaf developments overseas by three different Administra tion officers; (b) the provision to the private interests concerned, of seed and use of agri cultural machinery; (c) assistance in obtaining lower shipping freight rates on kenaf fibre; (d) exemption from import duty on equip ment and materials brought into the Territory for the purpose of producing kenaf; (e) special recruitment of agricultural staff for allocation to kenaf experi ntental work and provision of facilities for them; (f) extensive planting of kenaf for experi ments, trials and seed production and the bringing out of an American fibre expert on two occasions for advice; (g) the making available of land in the Oro Bay-Dobodura area and provision of road, bridge and wharf facilities for agricultural development generally in the area.
“Assistance of this nature will continue to be given as the need arises.”
Therefore, it may be taken as probable that that is the end of the Kenaf experiment in Papua. It was commenced under official en couragement; carried on in the be lief that if it was practicable, Aus tralia would protect it —how other wise could it survive against the product of India, where labour is so cheap, and production overwhelm ing!
It would be interesting to know how much Australian money the woolly-thinking Czars of Canberra wasted on this experiment—woolly thinking, because they seem to be constitutionally incapable of logical thinking. How did they imagine Kenaf production could be estab lished without marketing assistance, once it was shown that production was practicable?