Some "Are Just

Fiji's Banana Problem Some "Are Just Pig Fe ed"

Prom J. P. Shortall. in Auckland The question of whether the

iiji banana was being pushed

lough on the New Zealand

narket was the subject of a

ood deal of comment during

ne January second reading of

lie new Banana Export and

larketing Bill in the Fiji Legis

itive Council. )UT of it all, it was made clear that the Fiji Government had been making constant effort to iduce an increase in New Zealand nports, that the present restric ons were part of a general tighten ig of overseas currency alloca ions by New Zealand, not just irected towards Fiji or bananas, nd that New Zealand could in any ase obtain all the good quality ananas that were required with ut resorting to any acceptance of scond grade fruit from Fiji.

The debate was sharpened some what by advice from New Zealand bat only 10,000 cases would be ccepted in a certain January ship lent, whereas 17,000 cases of what 'iji classes “first grade” were ctually available for shipment.

It is a great pity that those who alk of forcing New Zealand to accept acre Fiji bananas, even “second rade” bananas, could not make an ecasional circuit of the Auckland ruit retailers to study the facts' of ife.

They would then see that there s rarely, if ever, a “first grade” >anana on sale in New Zealand, ind there are usually ample sup )lies of very second and third ;rade bananas.

To anyone familiar with the con lition of the fruit as it is offered ,o the public it is difficult indeed to jelieve—as was suggested by one ipeaker—that a lot of New Zealand consumers would be prepared to iccept an even lower grade than ;hat already offered.

No Comparison

The average Fiji banana —as it appears in the Auckland retailer’s store —bears no comparison with the average Tongan banana, which is usually half as large again, well filled, and altogether a superior item —though still decidedly second

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'ade as compared with bananas Tered in Europe, for example.

There may be the best of reasons hy this is so— but none of those ;asons will bear the slightest eight with the New Zealand banana msumers if they have any say in le matter.

They don’t have much say, and tost of them never bother to see here the fruit originated, but those rat do would turn thumbs down n any further lowering of Fiji ;andards, and suggest that Fiji larn a little from Tonga and per aps from Samoa, although a great eal of low grade fruit also comes i from there.

A Challenge

Should anyone doubt that the ituation is as bad as painted here, I M’s Auckland correspondent ffers to identify a cross-section of dippers and case-numbers where me case contents “can be classed nly as good average pig feed”, de pite the costly inspection systems rhich the fruit passes through prior 3 export.

If the market for dried bananas i the United States is anything ke as promising as it has been ainted by one recent investigator rom Fiji, one can only wonder why tie Fiji Government is not working II out to divert to that form of xport in which much lower grade ruit can be successfully used. Yet he possibilities of drying bananas eceived only the barest mention by ne speaker during the debate. The Government has not at any Lme refuted recent published state ments concerning American dried ianana market possibilities.

See Pacific Report for later news