Real Money
p. 38 · Read in the full issue
Dry Weather Cost W. Samoa Real Money
Exceptionally dry wesi conditions in Western See July-October, as well as fs cocoa prices, may result in a i larger deficit in the Western Sar budget than originally anticip A secondary result is likely 1 that New Zealand will be sho. its favourite fruit, bananas.
Insufficient rainfall has haj adverse effect on Samoan foodo banana exports and on cocoa* coconut plantations.
Banana exports have droppeo astrously and the October T loaded some 10,000 cases of ban out of a quota of 17,000 cases..
The monthly export averag 1955 was nearly 40,000 cases month, the average shipped df the best part of 1956 has beent 10 to 12,000 cases per month. !
Cocoa exports during the half of 1956 have also dropped! siderably and the new crop, v depends entirely on weather c: tions, will not be shipped befon beginning of 1957.
The cocoa price for Samoan grade cocoabeans has dro further to £205 per ton f.0.b., second grade is practically un able. There is also a food sho in many outside districts of' Territory owing to the dry spel; the failure of food crops like; yams and bananas. t Mr. W. V. C. Baker has transferred to Northern Rho; ,He formerly was District Com sioner, Northern Fiji. He hadi in the Colony since 1939; his* is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. .
Caldwell, of Suva. The Baker: at present in the United Kim on leave.