FIJI PINEAPPLES

Evening Star, Issue 20256, 17 August 1929, Page 15

FIJI PINEAPPLES

HAWAII TO TAKE A HAND BIG ISLAND DEVELOPMENT. SUVA, July 29. The biggest news that has come to Fiji since the war was a cable message received last week by Sir Maynard Hedstrom that tho directors of tho Hawaiian Pineapple Company had decided to experiment with the growing and canning of pineapples in Fiji. In 1924 the Government sent tho Colonial Treasurer to Canada and Hawaii to push the possibilities of Fiji as a grower of bananas and pineapples. The result then was that the dominion Canners, Ltd., agreed to experiment in conjunction with the Fiji Government, and the outcome was the definite assurance that the Fiji canned pine equalled anything in the world. Later Sir Maynard Hedstrom. armed with a case of canned Fiji pines, went to Hawmii and had a conference with the Hawaiian company. Ho proved to them that Fiji was a field well worthy of trial. A strong delegation of the company directors and experts came to Fiji and made an extended tour over the colony., They secured an option for three years of 60,000 acres in Vanua Levu, in tho Breketi district. There were other fields offering, however, and an export was sent to Malaya to see whether that field would be preferable to Fiji. He returned to Hawau on June 29, so President Dole wasted ilo time in coining to a decision in favour of Fiji. The cheaper labour in Malaya evidently must have been counterbalanced by the other facilities offered here. The company will now have a three years’ lease on the 60,000 acres at a concessional rental from the beginning of 1930, and during that time experiments will be tried to prove exactly what the prospects warrant. In the meantime the two local pineapple canning companies are busy. and everything points to the establishment of an industry which may become the chief one in the colonv.