New Opportunities

A Pocket Guide To New Opportunities In New Guinea

By a Staff Writer

7/ only they can get the land and the finance (see articles above) there seems no lack of opportunities for ex-servicemen planters in Papua and New Guinea.

THE success of the Highlands Arabica coffee has stirred the imagination of many. The sub ject is dealt with in another article.

There still is plenty of room in the Highlands country for coffee plantations, the establishment of which needs about five years. But the official attitude is that there are few places left for Europeans, because the already large native population is increasing, and the natives are learning to grow coffee.

Cocoa-growing may be a better proposition for Europeans—its future seems as secure as that of coffee, and there is much more room.

Also, peanut production is de veloping quickly in the Markham

Valley, in from Lae. Some Lae busi ness men estimate that peanuts worth £400,000 per annum could be Produced from the Markham Valley ithin a year or two.

The Gazelle Peninsula has been Regarded as one of the best cocoa areas, but there also the needs of the natives give the Government a lot of thought, and there is not much land available. The Warangoi Valley is now—after much pressure —being opened up, but only six blocks so far have been disposed of.

It appears that the would-be cocoa-grower’s best bet is the very large volcanic island of Bougainville.

Its soil now is recognised as first class for cocoa; apart from the solid line of coconut plantations already held along the northeast coast

there seems to be much land avail able; and there is definitely a smaller native population here than in other cocoa-growing islands.

Coconut planters who have been inter-planting with cocoa express surprise and pleasure at the high quality of the beans.

Compared with other New Guinea areas, Bougainville is a little isolated and, except for Torakina, there is nothing even resembling a good shipping port along the hundreds oi miles of southwest coast. But there is plenty of apparently first class land along this coast.

On the northeast side, in the in terior, behind the coastal coconuts, there should also be a lot of valu able cocoa land. It is suggested that it could be reached by a main road

from Kieta, which is capable of de4 velopment as a safe port.

A leading Rabaul merchant esti mated that, even on present plant ings, Bougainville within three or four years will be producing 1,000 tons of cocoa per annum—including 500 from the Burns Philp planta tions, and at least 120 from those of Buka Plantation and Trading Co. (Mr. Drummond Thomson).

Said another merchant: Bougain ville cocoa is fabulous —it has vol canic soil and good rainfall and is; early producing, disease free and. heavy producing. There is a great, future for Bougainville, if only they’ll open it up for development.