Fiji Takes Another

Look At The

Banana Markets

From our Suva Correspondent

The Fiji Land Development

Authority is hoping to kill two birds with one stone with its latest plan for developing the banana trade.

THE Authority, operating through the Fiji Development Company, plans, if Government is agreeable and will make the finance available, to establish a large banana planta tion producing good quality fruit and, at the same time, to settle families on the land, after the style of the very successful settlement scheme in Malaya.

The Authority has leased from the Native Land Trust Board 3,500 acres of land at Lomaivuna on the Sawani-Serea Road about 25 miles from Suva. It is hoped to make an immediate start on the first phase— settling 100 families on 10 acres of land each, building houses for them and recovering the cost over a reasonable period from the proceeds of the settlers’ sales.

Four acres for each settler will be planted with bananas late this year so that the fruit may start to become available from late 1964 on wards.

Planting material will come initially from a 30-acre banana nursery which has already been established to provide selected quality planting material.

Long Term Crops

In addition, each settler will be encouraged to plant one acre for subsistence crops for his own con sumption and for sale locally.

It is also planned to find a long term economic crop, or crops, for the remaining five acres of each settler’s holding. Among possible erops being investigated is a high yielding variety of rubber. A 10-acre trial has already been started.

Each settler will be provided with bis own house on his section of land and will be assisted to establish him self by the Land Development Authority.

Although financial details of the scheme have not yet been released it can be said that, in the picturesque American style, the Authority is not

dealing in “chicken feed”. The financial risk will be great but what the Authority is aiming at is improv ing Fiji’s overseas banana markets.

Last year Fiji made a bid for the hugely rewarding Japanese market.

One small shipment last October was a great success but—and no doubt there is a Japanese version of the proverb that “One swallow doesn’t make a summer”—the Japs signed no agreements and asked for another and larger shipment in December.

Fiji’s banana marketing board strained every nerve and banana planter to collect the bananas and a large consignment went to Japan, but it was hardlv a success.

The shipment was held up foi various reasons and when the bananas reached Japan they were ir poor condition. The importers pak the agreed price but lost heavily or the deal at the hands of the whole salers.

Chances of Fiji obtaining an agree ment with Japan receded into the background. In fact, they almosi vanished. Japanese importers were however, still ready to talk turkey or bananas—and tackled the Fij Development Company’s representa tive on the question of price.

Ecuador, it seems, has come intc the picture and can guarantee ship ments, in their own craft, of a millior

cases a year of good quality bananas.

And it looks as if Ecuador will grab the Japanese market, unless Fiji can persuade Japan that Fiji can guarantee to deliver any quantity of top quality fruit any time.

One of the reasons why Ecuador has become a serious competitor in the banana market is that it has often taken the risk of first growing the bananas and then looking for a market.

Fiji, on the other hand, has first chased its markets and then looked for supplies. So far, she has always relied on the individual planter, working through a marketing medium, and many planters have been notoriously careless about

quality and quantity.

To supply Japan last December, Fiji raided supplies intended for New Zealand and, according to Mr.

Harvey Turner, chairman of Fruit Distributors Ltd., the official fruit importing organisation, this upset the New Zealanders.

New Zealand has recently signed an agreement with Fiji’s Banana Marketing Board to take about 180,000 cases a year from Fiji, but that is a mere nothing.

Recaptured Trade

Fiji is hoping that if she can tempt New Zealand with exceptionally good quality fruit she can recapture some of the trade she has lost.

The Land Development Authoritv explains the position in these terms: “The Japanese importers are not now prepared to enter into a long-term contract to buy Fiji bananas unti] the pattern of banana imports intc Japan has settled down, and until we are able to satisfy them that Fij has regularly available bananas ol adequate quality and in sufficieni quantity.

In view of these changed circum stances, it is clear that this cannoi be done from existing productior without prejudicing the New Zealanc trade.

“It is also clear that to grow bananas of acceptable quality ir adequate quantity will take time anc money, and that there must remair the risk of market uncertainty until sales contracts are concluded.

“The potential value of the Japanese market, or of an increase ir the New Zealand quota, is, however, of such importance to the economy that the Land Development Authority considers this risk should be taken.”

The settlement scheme itself is dependent on a number of other factors. The Indian does not take kindly to regimentation, and if a Fijian settler finds the going tough he can always go back to his own koro.

But if the scheme is only success ful from the angle of wise exploita tion of Fiji’s land, it will be the forerunner of more settlement schemes. And the next big scheme might provide a hope for the future for dwellers on Fiji’s second largest island of Vanua Levu.