stable copra industry

Fiji wants a stable copra industry

Fiji is spearheading a move which nay lead to orderly marketing in the opra industry which is now enjoying i boom. The Fiji Coconut Board ecently asked the government to call n international meeting of copra iroducing countries to discuss sta •ilising world copra prices.

The board chairman, Mr lan Tiomson, told about 80 Fiji planters bat the fluctuating price of copra as not satisfactory. He hoped the rice could be stabilised about $2OO ton.

Mr Thomson spoke shortly before saving fc\ Geneva to attend the In srnational Sugar Conference. While lere he hoped to be able to sow the seds for a copra meeting, perhaps 3 set up an organisation to control le international price of copra.

The Fiji Minister for Agriculture, lr Doug Brown, followed up with suggestion that the planters launch combined campaign to get a stable uropean Economic Community price )r coconut products.

The South Pacific region produces ;ss than 10 per cent of the world’s Dpra. The Pacific Islands Producers’ .ssociation had discussed the possi ility of getting together on a re ional basis for such things as crush ig copra, but had not yet achieved iat.

The EEC had suggested a list of ght primary products from develop ig countries for which prices could i established, but coconut products ere not included.

It could well be that Samoa and onga could combine with Fiji at the *xt round of talks with the Com ion Market to press for the inclu on of copra, coconut oil and meal the proposed list, Mr Brown con uded.