Bright For
p. 34 · Read in the full issue
Things Look Bright For Fiji’s Sugar
Fiji’s sugar fortunes see-sa\ during the month of July—and looked at one stage during n month that the industry had str. the United States jackpot.
ON June 30 the US House Representatives passed a cc promise bill that reversed a decis made earlier by the US Senate ; gave Fiji a 10,000 ton per ann quota of sugar on the US market til December 31, 1964. (The House of Representatives earlier June had allocated 10,000 tons Fiji and 50,000 tons to Australia a firm annual quota; the decision ' later vetoed by the Upper House; June 30 compromise restored 10,000 tons to Fiji but gave A tralia only 40,000 tons.) On July 18, cabled advice recei in Fiji was that 3,736 short tons Fiji sugar could enter the US dm the remaining part of 1962. Fiji first jumped to the conclusion 1 this was to be in addition to 10,000 tons quota—but was quic disillusioned. The 3,736 tons is to all Fiji is permitted for the remain of this year; from the end of 1962 the end of 1963, Fiji will be able ship her full 10,000 tons.
The arbitrary setting of this fig instead of 5,000 tons for six mon may seem tough but in this parti lar deal, of course, Fiji is in no p: tion to argue. It never had acces? the US market while C dominated it and anything it can now is by way of being welco crumbs from the rich man’s tabh And it will come out of 1] pretty well. In the first half of year it got an allocation for 5 r long tons from the US and this shipped from Fiji at end of to This particular sale had strings to it in that Fiji had to take US plus farm produce. Fiji elected! take rice, which she normally wo have bought from Thailand and A tralia.
All in all, when the year’s t) sugar exports have been totted Fiji will have exported nearly 10,i short tons to the US. She probsi could export more, in private rangements, as Australia has v 24,000 tons additional to her qur but at present Fiji hasn’t got reserve stocks to do it. By next yv if the present season proceeds with trouble, a reserve of stocks will H been built up, with a target of 255,< tons of raw sugar.