Png Rice Embargo

Second Thoughts

Is On Again

AS forecast in May PIM, the

Papua and New Guinea Ad

ministration (or probably, more

correctly, the Australian Govern

ment) has had second thoughts

on lifting the embargo on impor

tation of Asiatic rice.

The Administration gave itself a loop-hole when in April it lifted the embargo which had been in force since the end of the war and which prohibited the imporation into PNG of other than Australian rice: the regulation did not come into effect until June 1.

Between April and June, the rice millers of Australia decided to come to heel and reduced the f.o.b.

Sydney price by £lB per ton, which is going to save PNG rice con sumers something like £200,000 per year. In return for this concession, Australian rice will continue to have a monopoly in the Territory.

Probably the fairest way all round would be a completely open market with Australian rice stand ing on its own merits, but for the time being, no doubt Territory consumers are well enough satisfied.

Australia supplies a brown rice which conforms to Native Labour Regulations specifications and there should be continuity of supply— apart from wharf and shipping strikes, of course. None of which —according to the PNG admini stration view, anyway—can be guaranteed with Eastern rice.

Price for Australian rice will be negotiated each year.

Nonetheless, consumers who in

the past have had to dance to the tune called by the Australian industry, are permitted to regard the volte face of recent months with a cynical and jaundiced eye.