They're Really Planting Rice In The Rev

Reluctant to switch to rice while there seemed any glimme nppz that a sugar mill might he in operation this year, the B vauey farmers of Fiji are now going ahead with rice planting c

THE Financial Secretary, Mr. E. R.

Bevington, told the Legislative . ™ rt Counc ** earl Y in January that 4 000 acres of rice was now planted there, and that another 4,000-5,000 acres of land was being prepared or in the process of being planted “It seems, therefore, that if the fates are kind to us, we are going to have an amplitude of rice from the Rewa Valley,” he said.

The Council was debating the im port tax on overseas rice, approved last year, which was to come into operation on January 1.

It was decided that in view of the late planting of the local rice, and the necessity of importing more be fore the local crop could be harvested after the middle of the

year, it would not be advisa bring the tax into operation April 30. The Financial Sec agreed that to levy the tax < might put up the cost of livi