Timbered Land Looks Greener

Europeans who have made use of the land they control in the New Hebrides have concentrated on growing plantation crops, mostly copra, cocoa and coffee but moves in recent years have been to invest in cattle and timber projects. Best current example of land use for timber operations is by a French company, Societe Rougier.

Rougier has an ambitious export production programme of New Hebridean timber from Erromanga. The company came to an arrange ment with Mr. J. C. Rouleau, who has a contract with local islanders to extract timber from the southern part of Erromanga.

Operations have speeded up with the arrival of a 500-ton timber freighter, Roger Rougier, which began transporting logs in May ( PIM, Mar., p. 101). In May also, Erromanga was visited by the top European based executive of Rougier, Mr. Maurice Rougier, with another director or the company, Mr. Coude du Foresto.

A leading European manufacturer of laminated woods, Rougier has now announced plans to set up storage depots for its logs on Efate.

The future looks rosy for Erromanga’s timber. There’s estimated to be enough on the island to keep a profitable extraction industry going for 20 years. Also, as the island’s population is only about 600, prospects for jobs will be found for Hebrideans from neighbouring Tanna, where there are more than 8,000 people.