FIJI PINEAPPLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 490, 20 October 1928, Page 6

FIJI PINEAPPLES

CANNING INDUSTRY PROSPECTS OF BIG TRADE Prospepts of an Empire trade in canned Fiji pineapples, which no less an authority than Sir Maynard Hedstrom believes are superior in flavour to the Hawaiian fruit, open up by the formation of an Auckland company. One of the romances of commerce was the rise of the Hawaiian Canning Company which in 14 years lias made profits exceeding £3,000,000 sterling. In ten years the capital has increased from £206,000 to £2,060,000. Mr. J. Dole, who gave the prize for the famous Pacific airplane flight, went to Honolulu in 1903, and began pineapple growing on a 12-acre plot with a capital of £3,000. He laid the foundation of the business which has become one of the greatest of the Pacific. HUGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENT The objects of the Fijian Pineapple Co., Ltd., of which Mr. N. Alfred Nathan is to be chairman of directors, are to acquire the assete of the Fijian Pineapple Plantations, Ltd., to continue the undertaking and to develop on a large scale, the industry of canning pineapples on the Fijian Islands. The practical side of the company’s programme has been proved by a long process of . investigation and preliminary work and by the successful marketing of some 8,000 cases of pineapples in the last two years. BIG MARKETS The Hawaiian companies are unable to meet the demands of the American market alone and the markets of other principal countries in the world are practically untouched. New Zealand, Canada and England are all largely undeveloped customers and, as Sir Maynard Hedstrom pointed out, the growth of Empire preference will help the marketing ofVtlie Fijian fruit. In the present year Commander Hewitt, one of the directors of the present company has investigated the whole of the plantation and canning methods of the Hawaiian Pineapple Co. under the friendly guidance of Mr. Dole and one of the experts of that company will arrive in Suva on November 2, in order to can the first season's crop of the present company. FIRST CROP It is estimated, on a conservative basis, that a crop of not less than 200 tons of fruit will be harvested in January and February 1929. The company’s Waidau plantation contains 1039 acres of freehold and 333 acres of leasehold and has been developed for several years. The complete canning plant has a capacity of 6,000 tins a day.

The first and immediate market for the company’s output is New Zealand, whose annual importation of canned pineapple is equal to 75,000 cases of 24 21b tins. A market in Canada and England has been proved and in a short period New Zealand is expected to be the company’s smallest customer.

The capital of the company is to be £IOO,OOO, of 40,000 ordinary shares of £l, 7,500 of which has already been applied for. The chief brokers for the company are G. Stewart Craig, Ltd.