FIJI BANANAS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31750, 6 August 1968, Page 10

FIJI BANANAS

Over a long period of years Fiji was the main supplier of bananas to New Zealand, and prior to the First World War the largest supplier of bananas to Australia.

In the early days of the Fiji banana business the bulk of the fruit was grown in well ordered plantations. The fruit was generally of good quality and met, despite shipping difficulties, a steady market both in New Zealand and in Australia.

After the First World War Australia developed its own banana industry. Fiji was, as a result, unable to sell any quantity of fruit in that market and came to rely on selling their fruit in New Zealand only. The plantation conditions ceased to exist as a result of Fiji Government policy. In the last 40 years the bulk of bananas have been grown by the native Fijians ion their small village holdings.

For a period of years a system of licenced buyers existed, and under this system individuals were allotted the right of purchasing the fruit from the growers and consigning the fruit to market.

However, as a result of a change in Government policy, the licenced buyer system was abandoned and a number of growers’ co-operatives was established to take their place: this was around the 1940’5. Fruit Distributors, Ltd, was established in 1951. In the first year of its operations the total supply of bananas from Fiji was 140,000 cases, while very small supplies were received from Samoa and Tonga. One of the first targets of the Company was to increase banana production in the Pacific Islands in order to satisfy New Zealand market requirements. Substantial Increases in prices were given to the various territories in order to stimulate this production. Eventually supplies from Fiji reached, in 1955, 390,000 cases. But the quantity has since that time continued to decline.

In 1962, despite the fact that New Zealand had been able to absorb Fiji’s production in full over the years, the thought that a possible market for Fiji bananas could exist in Japan so excited officials in Fiji that a very large packing shed was built and a Christmas shipment of bananas, which was expected to come to the New Zealand market, was diverted to Japan. At this time, as a result of Japan’s interest, a large plantation, known as Lomaivuna, was developed in Fiji for the Japanese market. The Japanese market did not prove a real one when Lomaivuna came into production.

The Lomaivuna fruit was then sent to New Zealand. Because of the large quantity that was anticipated from Lomaivuna, the native Fijians were not encouraged by the Fiji Government to carry on with their production. After this happening a contract was entered into between the Banana Board of Fijj and Fruit Distributors, Ltd, Tor the supply of certain quantities of bananas month by month -during a period of four years. Quantities called for under the contract were never supplied in full by Fiji.

Since the expiry of the contract Fruit Distributors, Ltd, has continued to purchase bananas from Fiji and has absorbed Fiji’s full production with the exception of one or two occasions when a small quantity has not been accepted because of the space liritiUtion on the ships.

New Zealand has no obligation whatever to purchase all the bananas available in Fiji. It has done so largely from a good neighbour policy and through a long standing association.

But this has meant accepting bananas of very often an inferior standard when high quality fruit could have been purchased from sources other than the Pacific Islands. A statement emanating from Fiji that a Committee of Inquiry on the banana industry has decided that Fruit Distributors, Ltd’s monopolistic practices were particularly responsible for the decline of Island banana output This is absolute nonsense.

When there is talk about a monopoly, does not a monopoly exist in Fiji as licences for export are granted by one organisation and the fruit is shipped from the Fiji Department of Agriculture? Fiji is not obligated in any way whatever to supply the New Zealand market The fact that they do supply and have no other buyers is a clear indication that New Zealand gives the best deal as otherwise they would be finding other markets. The blame for the decline in Fiji banana production cannot be laid at the door of Fruit Distributors, Ltd. It must be laid at the door of the changing policies formulated from time to time by rapidly changing personnel in official positions in Fiji and also through the Islanders’ inability to cope with the various pests and diseases that have created so much havoc among the banana crops in recent years. It is the policy in other banana producing countries to move their plantations when they are affected by diseases, although on these large plantations diseases can be checked by modern methods.

No such programme change seems to have been utilised in Fiji and the result is poor quality bananas and disappointing crops. The Committee of Inquiry has blinded itself to the real issues which must be squarely faced.

The following sets out the quantities of bananas shipped from Fiji to New Zealand year by year since 1951. Surely the fault for the inconsistency of the trade must be Fiji’s.

Year ending Dec. 31 Quantity Shipped 1951 .. 140,171 1952 .. 83,032 1953 .. 353,441 1954 .. 360,917 1955 .. 390,340 . 1956 .. 225,654 1957 . 323,577 1958, '' ... 149,228 1959 65,506 , ■■ 1960 .. 199,191 1961 .. 208,787 1962 .. 149,633 1963 .. 193,099 1964 .. 129,257 1965 42,169 1966 .. 123,263 1967 47,877 To 31/7/68 74,225 —P.B.A.