SAMOAN PRODUCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 261, 4 November 1935, Page 4

SAMOAN PRODUCE.

COPRA, COCOA AND BANANAS. IMPROVED PROSPECTS. (From Our O—n Correspondent.) APIA, September 20. Our main product, copra, is still nsing in pric-e on the European and American markets, whether in consequent of the I taio-Abyssinian war, or the optning_ of the American Customs barriers against oils and fats. or irom other causcs,^dces buyers. "who should be making ~ood profits now, follow slow?j- the upward move of tie copra price, and this week thejocas rate was raised to -5 per IQQIb. smaJ buyers are busily competing against the biz Srms and native producers are benefiting by this keen competition. The weather is splendid zor the cutting o: copra, and all over the islands the_ natives are energetically cutting copra beiere the raining season starts in earnest. A good cocoa crop is betas picked at present and planters hose that, correspondinc with the general upward movement of _ prices for - raw materials, the cocoa prtce will a;so improve, especially as the demand for the Christmas business should soon set in as is asaal at this time of the year. A good crop with fair prices would go a ions way to comoeusate the planters for the bad times tncy have been straggling through during the Srst nine monies of the current year. Prospects for bananas are also good, and the inspector of produce hopes to re; fell shipments of good quality fruit during the" coming months. Despite the efforts of this official, banana shipments have not been delivered as smoothly as is desirable. The suggestion is much ventilated in growers' circles for _ the Administration to_ create an Advisory Beard of European and native growers to advise and work in conjunction with the inspector and at the same time represent the interests oi me producers, i :