ISLAND BANANA TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21114, 23 February 1932, Page 10

ISLAND BANANA TRADE.

PROSPECTS FOR FIJI. COLONIES AND PREFERENCE. [from our own correspondent. ] SUVA, Feb. 17. r lho request by the Secretary of State for the Colonies for information regarding any Dominion market in which preference for Fiji may be practicable and of real value is bejng regarded locally as a hopeful sign that the Ottawa Conference may result in the Fiji banana trade with Australia being at least partly restored. Some years ago the Australian Government, with the idea of assisting the Queensland banana growers, imposed a duty against Fiji bananas. At this time Fiji enjoyed a very healthy trade with Australia, but it was effectually killed by this measure.

With Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands sending bananas in increasing quantities to New Zealand there arc indications that that somewhat restricted market will eventually be unable to take all the fruit offering. This has been borne out during the past month or so when prices for good quality fruit at Auckland fell below ten shillings a case. The price being paid to growers in Fiji this month is two shillings a case at packing stations.

If it were possible to obtain some reduction in the duty against Fiji bananas going into Australia it would open up another field for the Fijian product, particularly in good seasons when there was a surplus of fruit. Prominent banana shippers at Suva consider that any effort to improve the conditions of the trade could be best expended in the direction of reopening the Australian market to Fiji, and hopes are entertained that at the Ottawa Conference something may bo done in this direction. If these hopes are realised it will also relieve the position for Tonga and Samoa, both of these countries reporting a gradually increasing production of bananas.