New Caledonia Worried Over Coffee
p. 65 · Read in the full issue
From a Noumea Correspondent Whilst Fiji and Papua-New Guinea are increasing coffee produc tion, and planning bigger increases still, in New Caledonia the Territory Assembly has been having serious discussions on the subject of abandon ing coffee.
NO decision has been taken, and perhaps one won’t be taken, be cause no political group is anxious to take the responsibility of voting for such a radical project. In any case no other crop has yet been found to replace coffee.
The trouble in New Caledonia is
that the coffee plantations are mostly old. Quality has been declining due to this, to the lack of labour for the plantations and to disease.
For 1961-62 the Assembly has voted the amazing sum of 55 million francs as a coffee subsidy.