Samoa’s Copra

and Cocoa Quality Slips

From Our Own Correspondent COMPLAINTS about the qualitj of Western Samoa’s main proc ducts, copra and cocoa beanjj have been increasing. In fact, the? may now be described as continuous Compensation has been paid tt the United Kingdom Ministry o Food on several shipments of in ferior copra, and the local Copn Board is making strenuous effort to tighten things up.

The board will now accept fcr export only copra that has beej screened.

When the MOF contract ends ii 1957, Western Samoa, like othe British Commonwealth territorie with contracts, will have to compet on the “free” world copra market.

Equally disturbing is the de terioration in the standard o Samoan cocoa beans. At one tim Samoan cocoa was a high-qualit product commanding high prices cc the world market, but in recen years the standard has slipped.

Competition among buyers hs been so keen that they have oft© been willing to buy cocoa insuffic: ently fermented and dried, and thr has encouraged producers to neglee proper curing.

Complaints about poor qualii cocoa have been so frequent thu Samoan leaders have urged mo;< stringent methods of inspecting tH beans. It has also been suggest©, that the Government, private ii. terests or co-operatives should buii fermenting houses and driers in tH outside districts to ensure eve quality of the product.

Producers, it has been pointed ou should sell the wet beans (as is don in larger cocoa-producing countries instead of the dry, which they fin difficult to ferment properly in sms. quantities.