Pan-Pacific Copra Plan Urged

A t an inter-territory copra board conference in Suva in May, delegates from Tonga, Western Samoa, BSIP and Fiji agreed that the South Pacific territories should co-operate more in growing and selling their copra.

They recommended looking into combined charter or joint ship ments to overseas markets; asking their governments to increase research facilities and inviting the South Pacific Commission to set up a central copra research body; and “making inquiries” for liaison with the Pacific Islands Producers’ Secretariat.

Addressing the conference, Ratu K. K. T. Mara, Leader of Govern ment Business in Fiji, urged producers to unite and form a co-ordinating body and so have a bigger voice in world copra markets. He said the area covered by the South Pacific Commission produced 14 per cent, of the world’s copra.

“Whereas an individual view representing one or two per cent, of world production is a voice crying in the wilderness, a collective view expressed by over 10 per cent, is usually fairly effective,” he said.