Encouragement

Still Need Shoots Encouragement For Cook Islands' Banana Growers

From a Special Correspondent • Bananas have been an nsignificant export from the Cook slands for a good many years, and specially since the citrus replant <ig scheme came into being directly fter the war.

HHERE has been a slight revival, L however, since October, 1954, when Fruit Distributors Ltd., le New Zealand fruit importing nd retailing co-operative, offered ) purchase and pay for all bananas elivered to Rarotonga wharf, hether there was shipping space mailable for them or not.

The offer applied only when a ?ssel was actually loading for New ealand. The offer has now been irther expanded to apply to all manas delivered to the wharf at ly time.

Bananas delivered when no ship loading will be sold locally at loss, but the scheme is a deter ined effort to encourage re tablishment of the industry.

Coupled with the present ban on iports of bananas from other than ew Zealand’s own Island Terri ries, the new offer, which was ade at the urging of the Govern ent, appears to be a move towards ducing New Zealand’s dependence i outside bananas on a permanent isis. At present, however, there nothing to indicate that the New saland banana market could not sily absorb all the bananas that ji and Tonga could supply, in Idition to those from Western imoa and the Cook Islands.

Bananas Before Citrus A number of experienced Cook land fruit exporters have always mly held that government re tirees should have been directed building up the banana industry ther than the citrus industry, lich calls for much more capital.

Phere is also the important factor possible hurricane damage. A nana plantation could be re ;ablished and in bearing within s than a year at comparatively v cost. Seriously damaged citrus ;es would take possibly five years come back to bearing.

Phe production, handling, and ipping of bananas is also con lered to be much less costly.

Fhe Cook Islands Department of riculture, limited in staff, and sply involved in the citrus leme, has shown no great interest an expanded banana crop which uld probably divert labour and sources to the possible detriment the citrus.

Potential banana growers say that their ambitions are restricted by lack of banana shoots, which would have to be imported from Fiji or Samoa, probably by the government. Until shoots are available, growers say, the latest offer of an assured market will not result in any great increase in plantings.

There is no word of any plan to import further shoots at present.