Inducements For Ci

Banana Growers

UNLESS Rarotonga is prepared

to revive banana growing, which has declined to virtually nothing in the last 20 years, there appears to be little hope of a greatly augmented shipping service to the Cooks.

This is the opinion of Mr. Ross Walker, general manager of NZ Government-backed fruit-importing organisation, Fruit Distributors Ltd.

To encourage Cook Islands grow ers to produce bananas, an import ant guarantee was made to them by Fruit Distributors in October, All bananas will henceforth be accepted and paid for on the beach, provided that they come up to an export standard. All risks will thus be taken by the New Zealand taxpayer and the growers can go ahead and plant in the certain knowledge that everything they produce will be purchased.

The Cooks’ banana industry was falling into a decline even before the war. In its heyday nearly 112,000 cases were shipped in one record year. As the main harvest season for bananas does not conflict with the citrus crop harvest, re vival of the banana industry on a big scale could assure a regular all year-round shipping service.

Mr. Walker considers that an easy

10,000 cases per month could be pro duced in the Cooks.

He is opposed, however, to the idea of Rarotonga becoming a central shipping point for export.

Fruit brought in from outer islands by local craft and trans-shipped at Rarotonga would involve a great deal of bruising of fruit. On the other hand, direct pickup of fruit at

outer islands calls for substantial quantities to be available. Frequent calls for small quantities would be uneconomic for large export vessels.

This year’s tomato crop had been greatly over-estimated by the Cook Islands Department of Agriculture and growers, Mr. Walker said.

Early in the season a crop of 150,000 cases was estimated; this

was later reduced to 100,000 cases, but not more than 70,000 cases would actually be exported.

The citrus total for the season was 55,018 cases, as compared with 49,808 cases in the previous season.