Plans For

Combined

Marketing

There were significant moves in the South Pacific in October to establish a co-operative copra and cocoa marketing organisation between govern ments.

The moves are a direct result of Lord Silsoe’s 1963 in vestigation into the Fiji Coco nut industry, when he pointed out that South Pacific copra exporters should combine to exert a far greater influence over the world copra situation.

Lord Silsoe suggested that territories “take the initiative” to discuss together their regional problems.

The initiative was taken last year by Fiji, Western Samoa and Tonga, and as a result, on October 16 in Apia Messrs.

C. D. Aidney and P. B.

Matasau, of the Fiji Coconut Board, and the board’s sec retary, Mr. J. S. Matheson, had two days of discussion with members of the Western Samoa Copra Board. The Fiji mem bers had already visited Tonga for talks with the Tonga Copra Board.

The meeting agreed that; © To establish actual pre miums obtainable for com bined copra of Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa a parcel of 300 tons of Ist grade copra, made up equally by the three terri tories, is to be shipped on consignment shortly. • Preliminary inquiries are to be made into the pos sibility of combined charter shipments of copra, copra by-products and cocoa. o The boards of the three territories are to recom mend to their governments a co-ordinated research pro gramme aimed at the most effective utilisation of tech nical and financial resources in the coconut industry and dissemination of research information. • The three territories will fully share information on the types of dryers available especially for small pro ducers.

This was the first consulta tion between the three boards and it was decided to hold similar meetings every six months. The next meeting will be in Fiji next May. The meet ing agreed that the eventual formation of a Pacific Market ing Board would ensure more effective marketing of South Pacific produce.