Factory in Operation
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
[?]Ew Industry
Or Papua
[?]ird Hills Cutch Factory in Operation
HHE announcement that the cutch L factory of the New Guinea orneo Mangrove Company was in eduction at Aird Hills, Papua, was ade in early March, after the ant had been visited by the mister for Territories, Mr. Hasluck.
Cutch is produced from the bark the Mangrove tree and is used r tanning and dyeing.
A spokesman for the company id in Port Moresby in March at cutch was used extensively in mada and Japan, especially in e fishing industry. Most of the tch produced in Borneo was ex rted to Japan.
As yet, only small quantities had en shipped to Australia, where other product was generally used r tanning. It was hoped to find
a market in Australia for the Territory product, however.
It is understood that when the company first set out to manufac ture cutch in Borneo over 40 years ago, it was believed that harvesting mangroves would be a 40-years cycle. Recent research has revealed. however, that the maximum amount of the material that makes cutch is not present in the mangrove until it is 80 years old, although it has regenerated itself and looks mature f? 40 years. This is the reason why the Vast areaS of mangrove SWamp m the Gulf country of Papua caught the attention of the company, it was hoped initially that pro duction would begin in July, 1953; then it was set at July, 1954, and again the factory was not ready, Setting up a cutch factory has keen in a sugar and the difficulties that have attended such a large-scale pro ject in the extraordinary and peculiar conditions of Papua s vast sw^iP p land ®> can be imagined, The su PP!y of mangrove bark will come entirely from local natives who will cut the tree and strip off the bark. A comparatively few Europeans are needed to run the factory once it is established.