Bananas for New Zealand

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1921, Page 2

Bananas for New Zealand

SHUT OUT OF AUSTUAMA. j i I •SYDNEY, July 6. ! The very large quantities of bananas which formerly came to Sydney and Melbourne from Fiji have now been shut nut. by the new Federal tariff, and it is now expected that the Fiji growers will seek a market in New Zealand. That, 'presumably wlilll start a protest n New Zealand on behalf of the Cook Island planters, who, as a dependency of New Zealand, have always insisted that they should have preference over all other banana producing territories. The Commonwealth’s! decision has caused the utmost consternation in Fiji where there is now a very large community of banana-planters, many of them former Australian" and New Zealand soldiers. The tariff places the future beyond argument. The duty is raised from 2s 6d to 8s 4d per cental, which i.s absolutely prohibitive. Unless a market can Ire found elsewhere—and the only other markets are New Zealand whose dfemand is limited, and San Francisco, which has its own supVv, and anyhow is too far away—the Fiji banana men must be ruined. Already the Union steamer Levuka, whose trade was principally banana-carrying, has been withdrawn for other \roik. The Fiji banana men are now making the most nrgent representations to the Commonwealth Government, but it is very unlikely that the tariff decision will be reversed.

The Commonwealth tariff, of course, was framed in the interest of the rapidl.v developing banana industry of Northern New South .Wales and South Queensland. The produce is not quite of such fine quality as the Fiji 'banana, hut- it is nevertheless very good, an ’ is steadily improving as certain d-ffi-culties of soil and climate are overcome. Planting, stimulated by stories of the great prosperity of the industry, has gone ahead in a very parked way in the last two or three years. It is found that banana growing is more profitable than any other kind of farming, and as land is abundant, and only a very small area is required, everyone is “rushing” 1 ft! The new tariff aw ill further encourage the rush. Free-trad-ers, of course, are bemoaning the high price of the local product; but if the rapidity of planting is any indication an excessive supply of the fruit will soon bring prices down.