PINEAPPLES IN FIJI

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1928, Page 8

PINEAPPLES IN FIJI

HUGE ENTERPRISE LAUNCHED

SUVA, November 17

Testerday saw the inauguration of what the experts from Hawaii, now visiting the colony, sav was the most momentous event in Fijian industria history one could imagine, and one which is to convert these islands into another great hive of industry and money-making. It. was the official opening of the 'factory of the Fijian Pineapple Co.. Ltd., (incorporated in New Zealand:, by the wife of Commander Hewitt, one of the directors, and the original vendor of the property on which the main crop of pines is growing at Waidau on the island of Ovalau. Th factory this year is in Suva, hut the plant will lie moved to Muidau in time for the 1920-,‘lo pack. On Friday the ceremony was witnessed hv his Fxeello,,,,y the Oovcrnor and all the chic ofheials and merchants in the capital. His Excellency said the factory wa* the outcome of the two years’ experiments in canning carried on by the Oovernmont in conjunction with the Canadian (..'aimers, Ltd., and he. wished to s”y that he hoped for the enterprise all the great success promised by the axpcrie.-e of the experiments. Mrs Hewitt then.-operated the switch to

start the machinery. ’the visitors inspected the factory and saw the operalions 111 full swing. A large staff of natives and hall'easle girls are employed, and they are specially attired so that none of the Imi t is handled ‘with the hare hand.

The fruit coming in is of special! v fine quality, and Hie pack should he of first-class grade. The Government at the Legislative Council, now sitting, has passed a motion allowing all plant and tinware used hv any pineapple Lietorv to lie admitted free ol duly during the next four years, and for a period o' leu years no export lax will he levied upon any canned product of such factories. Further, for the next ten years the Government will permit the draw hack of Import duty paid on sugar material for cases, tinplates or partly made tins used in such lactones. The Governor’s Message on the sullied. said that “ the experiment bus shown conclusively that this colony is capable of producing canned pineapples if the linest quality. Ibis claim is based upon the verdict ol experts and distributors in (Leaf Britain. Canada, the United States of America and New Zealand, and it is a claim which no doubt members ol the Council will endorse.” They did. and passed a moti 11 confirming the tenor of the Message. The'other company, the Vi est. (oast I'ines (Fiji - ), Ltd., will soon he well on its feet, and will have a plentilul suplily of first-class fruit to put through a big pack next season. Already quite a large area is planted out with first-class plants. The three Hawaiian experts have completed their visit to three of tliI’hief large areas available 'lor pineapple growing on a large scale lie,Odd in 100.000 acres'), and although all are naturallv reticent, they say that the

visit has in many respects been an eyeopener. They find, lor instance, that while pines only grow in Hawaii at an elevation of sit least 500 to SOOl't. here io Fiji they have seen ideal pinegrown at from 50ft up to 20011. '1 be same applied io mai/.e, which in th colony will grow at an elevation of ten to twenty feet above high watei, an in Hawaii requires over oOOit elevation. Thev are leaving lor Honolulu by the next boat*, and it is confidently expect ed that a lot of American capital will shortly be made available to grow an 1 can pines here on a very large scale.