Rice Industry

Discouraged By Cheap

“Foreign” Production

Rice Industry In Papua-N. Guinea

r[E high hopes entertained a few vears ago that rice pro duction might be established as a major agricultural industry in Papua and New Guinea have not been fulfilled. This is chiefly be cause rice can be landed in Territory ports, more often than not, at a price which competes with the cheapest that P-NG can produce.

The industry is becoming estab lished. however, as an important contributor to the food supply of the native population—that is, the natives are growing it for their own sustenance.

“As a matter of Administration policy, the cultivation of rice is being encouraged everywhere in the Territory where the land is suitable and cultivation can be economically justified”, said Mr. W. L. Conroy, one of the Agricultural Department chiefs; “and the Administration will pay full market rates, as part of rationing organisation, for any native rice produced surplus to native requirements.

“But as a factor in the economy

of the country, rice cultivation has slipped back in the last three or four years—principally because the import rates for rice here has meant lower returns, and the growers can do better with other crops.”

AT the moment, all commercial cropping was being done with dry rice; but experiments were being made with irrigation, in various places, in the hope of introducing padi rice.

There had been commercial pro duction of rice in the Mekeo and the Markham districts, said Mr.

Conroy; and in some small areas in the Madang, New Britain and East Papua areas, where Europeans had used mechanical and semi mechanical methods. But progress had halted in these places, because of the price of imported rice.

Rice cultivation, on commercial lines, would have to be as com pletely mechanised as in other countries if the local product was to compete.

The Mekeo rice-growers still were battling along, however three European growers, and the Sacred Heart mission had kept going.

Some experiments were carried out in the Sepik country about four years ago, but they proved that the plains were sterile. Since then, they had been experimenting to see if the introduction of fertilisers

would permit economic producticr Native rice-growing had expanc in such districts as the Purari dej South Bougainville, South N Britain, the Sepik, around Mii Bay, and 500 miles up the : River, and the Administration woi buy from these people any surp they had. It also would buy pi rice from the European growers,, the ruling import rates. But price now was at £62/10/- per tl f.o.b. Australian ports, so there v not much in it for the Europe growers.

Editorial Note:

This puts another crimp in tail of the “cheap black laboi myth. The “foreigners” involved! the supply of rice to P-NG are,, course, Australians. Australian i growers have a monopoly of the i trade with the Territory and h:. had since the end of the Pac war. Before the war, there v a high proportion of Asian i imported to P-NG, most of it fn Saigon. Australia has never, anytime, been famous as a low-c country, and at the present ti less so than ever. On the face; it, it is extraordinary that P-! cannot produce cheaper than A tralia; yet at least half a do* promising industries in the Tei tory have foundered for that v; reason in the post-war period.