It’ll be a good year

in the New Hebrides

The New Hebrides is in for a good year in 1978 according to the Central Planning Office of the condominium in its Economic Review, 1977. Copra

production may drop because

of the 1977 drought, but that will be more than offset by an increase in exports of meat, coconut oil and copra cake (for cattle feed) and a rise in the number of passengers in cruise

ships.

The value of exports for 1977 was FNH 2 525 million, almost double the 1976 figure, but imports rose by more than 20% to FNH3 146 million to give a visible trade deficit of FNH62I million or SA6 862 050.

Imports could rise in 1978 as the effects of the 1977 earnings from exports and tourism work their way through the econ omy. Cocoa, one of the most

promising crops in diversifying

the economy, brought good

prices throughout 1977.

The South Pacific Fishing Co, based at Palekula, had its best year for some time, exporting almost 10 000 tonnes of frozen fish valued at FNH 1 057 million. The amount was 64% higher than that of 1976. In December, 1977, 55 boats were operating from Palekula. The NH Government reaped a benefit from these exports as it holds a 10% interest in SPFC.

Meat exports fell in 1977, compared with 1976, but the

current meat marketing policy

should see meat become a

much more important export in the future. A new abattoir at Santo, to which will be attached a cannery, will open in the second half of 1978, and will handle 30-35 head of cattle a day. A new cannery, capable of producing 10 000 cans of meat a day, has been opened at Vila.

It was a boom year for tour ists. The number of arrivals by air and sea was 24 545, com pared with 17 929 in 1976.

Those figures did not include cruise ship passengers, of whom there were about 17% less because the Fairsky was out of service for part of the year.

A new coconut oil mill went into production at Santo near the end of 1977, and is expected to be capable of processing 20 000 tonnes of copra a year.

Two new chicken farms on Efate, added to existing farms, were expected to make the NH self-sufficient in poultry. Poss ible future developments are a

brewery, a woodchip plant and

rice-growing.

The supply of manganese is running out, as evidenced by the export of a mere 27 533 tonnes, only half as much as was exported in 1976.

The condominium will have an earth station to improve telex and telephone contact with the rest of the world. It will be built towards the end of this year by Hebritel, a company formed by France Cables and Cable & Wireless.