Fijians Plan

Own Scheme

For Finance

Prom a Suva correspondent Further proof of the Fijiai people’s determination to achiev« economic self-sufficiency came ii November, when the Fijian As sociation announced its plan fo setting up an organisation simila; to those which assist financially backward people in Africa anc

Malaysia.

At the same time, it was reportec that farmers in two land-developmen schemes established in 1963 hac made “extremely encouraging” pro gress. So much so, that the govern ment plans to withdraw direct super vision of the schemes at the end o this year.

The Fijian Association plans wen revealed at the November meetinj of the Council of Chiefs. Nominate< member, Mosese Qionibaravi, sai( the proposed financial organisatioi could give loans, and invest am share the equity of Fijian develop ment projects.

It was a matter for concern, h< said, that there was no organisatio] which provided financial resource solely for Fijians.

The council appointed a committee to investigate a proposal tha development funds be allocated fo the cultivation of Fijian reserves.

The report relating to the two lane development schemes said that th Fijian farmers —22 at Balenabelo, Vatukarasa and 110 at the Dubalevi scheme in the Sigatoka Valley—wouh continue to receive advice from the Extension Service of the Departmen of Agriculture.

They will be able to marke their produce through co-operativi societies which have already beei established. The produce include Virginia leaf tobacco, passionfruit maize and sorghum. • During November Fiji’s fou sugar mills passed the two millioi tons crushing mark for the seventl year, and indications are that 196! may prove to be a record year. / weekly crushing total of nearly 87,000 tons during the second weel in November took the season’s crusl to more than 2,008,000 tons.