Discussions On Bananas

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29899, 13 August 1962, Page 10

Discussions On Bananas

(From Our Ou-n Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 12. The week’s visit to New Zealand by the Prime Minister of Western Samoa (Mr F i a m e Mata’afa), which ended today, was conceived by the Prime Minister himself as a follow-up to the treaty of friendship signed just before he left for Wellington. Primarily a visit to meet New Zealand ministers and officials as leader of the newly independent territory, it confirmed the successful working of the remaining connexions with New Zealand. As agent for Western Samoa in international affairs —except in. dealings with such near neighbours as Tonga and Fiji—New Zealand has been responsible for representing Samoa's interests in European Common Market talks: As it turns out, the establishment of the Common Market and Britain's possible membership are doing little to affect Western Samoa’s exports of cocoa and copra there. Tiie Prime Minister apparently told the New Zealand Government that he is well pleased with tb» Vevr

Zealand is giving in dealings with United Nations assistance agencies. For though Samoa is not a member of the United Nations, and has no present intention of becoming one. membership of the World Health Organisation entitles her to the advice and assistance of other agencies and New Zealand is her intermediary with these in New York.

The one specific trade matter which was discussed was New Zealand's banana imports. Mr Mata'afa met the general manager of Fruit Distributors. Ltd. (Mr R. C Walker), the wholesalers' cooperative which imports the fruit. The Samoan delegation was able to assure New Zealand banana buyers that in spite of the approaches by Japanese importers the Dominion is likely to remain the main market for the Samoan crop. This year New Zealand will take about 800.000 cases of the million or so produced. It is still not certain that Japan will provide a permanent market for bananas and. so far, only a trial shipment has been arranged tor later this month. The Samoan view appears to be that bananas will go to Japan when they are surplus to New Zealand demand, although the undisclosed price offered by Japan may be slightly higher at the moment. The Japanese price may not be much more favourable as the market is not assured. Nor is that market quite as easy to supply as it requires shipments at bananas in bunches arid hands which en-

tail more wastage to maintain a uniform standard of fruit One of the party with Mr Mata'afa was the New Zealand High Commissioner in Western Samoa (Mr J. B. Wr.ghti. who. after many years as a senior officer in the New Zealand administration of the territory, reported that affairs there were going very smoothly after independence. “There is not a great difference for the man in the street. I think they feel better about being independent," he said. "They feel they are running their own show. But to the average observer there is little difference between life now and life six months before independence last January.”