Touchy Subject"

Bananas Are In The News And They’re A “Very Touchy Subject"

Bananas have become a very touchy subject all over the South Pacific this year—chiefly because Western Samoa’s pro duction has in the last 12 months doubled, just at the time when New Zealand decided to cut imports.

UNTIL this year, the New Zealand appetite for bananas seemed insatiable. Then overnight all was changed.

NZ wanted to slash banana im ports from Fiji and Tonga this year, but strong protests saved the day—temporarily. But it seems that next year (particularly if W. Samoan production keeps up, and NZ can get what it requires from that source), the axe might fall.

During his recent three weeks in New Zealand, Tonga Premier, Prince Tungi, announced that if New Zea land would not buy, Tonga would export its bananas to Australia in stead.

It sounds simple. But is it? Fiji has been trying to crack this par ticular nut for 30 or 40 years, and if Prince Tungi succeeds where the Colony failed, it will be a minor miracle.

Not as Good Northern NSW banana growers can generally fully supply the Aus tralian market. They compare well enough in price, but so far as quality is concerned they fall far short of the best Islands’ varieties.

However, lobbying by banana in

terests in Australia has successfully kept Fiji bananas out, although there is provision for a reasonable quantity to be imported from Fiji.

Fiji Production Drastically Reduced

Meantime, in Fiji, banana troubles of another kind were exercising the minds of local authorities.

IT seems certain now that Fiji will be quite unable to fill its restricted quota of 200,000 cases of bananas to New Zealand this year. It is estimated that about 150,000 cases will be the total.

Dry weather is mostly to blame for the fall.

Although NZ restrictions have had no real effect on Fiji shipments this year, this fall-off has not given Fiji the talking point it might have had.

In a good year—with no droughts, floods or hurricanes—Fiji can sup ply anything up to 700,000 cases per annum, and at the time of highest NZ demand an increased produc tion of these dimensions was aimed at.

If only a third of the potential can now find a market, it will give

Both New Zealand and Australia sell far more to Tonga than they buy from her—in Australia’s case, purchases from Tonga are virtually nil, and she should be under some obligation to help balance trade. But the first obligation Australia recog nises is to home producers, who have votes.

this wholly Fijian industry a bad set-back.

This fall in production in Fiji has come at a time of greatly increased Western Samoan production—that Territory has shown that it could, if it wished, supply the entire NZ market. The Samoans, whose pro duction of bananas has varied widely ever the years, have shown that in 1958 they did wish—and this has counted against Fiji which has been unable, through circumstances right outside its control, to reach even the restricted quota NZ gave the Colony this year.

Fiji’s banana marketing machinery was recently receiving a critical ex amination and it is likely that modifications will ultimately result.

Fiji’s banana industry has been

Fijians of Cakdrove province have been operat ing a co-operative banana venture in fertile Savudrodro Valley, near Savusavu, since June, 1957—complete with their own equipment. A few months ago they cut their first bananas for export, and there was nothing wrong with the quality, as Ratu Ebenezer Lovick indicates at left. However, when these photographs were taken many bunches had been allowed to ripen on the trees. Whether this was due to a poor cutting programme or lack of ships to get them away, was the subject of a mild local difference of opinion.

developed under a private buyer system but a modern development has been the marketing by co operatives and other groups.

Members of the Banana Board feel that the time has come when more control over marketing is de sirable—but at a recent meeting of the Board members could not de cide how this was to be done. Some members contend that the only solution is to establish a central marketing organisation which would be the sole exporter of Fiji bananas.

Although more controls do not necessarily mean more efficiency, it is obvious that with competition keener and the restricted NZ market still the only one in sight, anything that will ensure better packs of Fiji export fruit is worth trying.

W. Samoa Wants to Sell

More Bananas

The members of the official West Samoan delegation to New Zealand w j?° , r eturped to Apia recently after investigation of prospects for Samoan bananas in New Zealand and problems in connection with shipping and marketing the fruit have now submitted their report to the Executive Council They expect that New Zealand will probably accept annual ship ments of up to 750,000 cases of b . ananas > but stress the point that considerable improve ment will have to be effected by the growers and all concerned in and shi PP in S the truit to keep and expand marketing opportunities in New Zealand and possibly find other markets over

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