Hopes For New

Tonga Ha High

Coconut Plant

Tonga is hoping to sell des; cated coconut to both Austra and New Zealand from a facte

which has just begun product!

in Tonga. Its output will more than sufficient to supi all NZ’s needs.

TONGA’S Premier, Prince Tun who recently visited NZ explore marketing prospects, said Auckland that NZ’s present consun tion of 1,200 tons of desiccai coconut a year now came fn Ceylon and the Philippines.

“We have the advantage of be: much nearer than either of thi countries and we think our prii will be competitive,” he said.

“We are hoping to enter the A tralian market, too.”

Prince Tungi said Tonga was a associated in a scheme to build coconut-processing factory in Ami can Samoa, for which Tonga wot supply 90 million coconuts a y (PIM, Oct., p. 136).

Many Uses

The flesh would be conven into coconut flour for use in c;; mixes; the oil would be used for ] canning in Samoa; the milk woe be used for growing bacteria medical laboratories; and the si would be used for making briquet for use as fuel by Californian Id becue enthusiasts.

Forty per cent, of the sharehold in a company formed to build ; run the new factory was held by Tonga Copra Board and the mainder by the American-owr Pacific Coconut Processing Corpo tion.

The Tongan Government was n looking in Europe for a suits freighter of about 1,000 tons da weight, to carry the coconuts fn Tonga to Samoa.

Prince Tungi said Tonga also hoc to build up a banana trade w Japan and to develop a fishing dustry with Japanese assistance.

“These developments will be an: dustrial revolution for Tonga,” said. “Our economy will no lom be tied almost solely to the coo market.”