THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1949. PEANUTS FOR PROSPERITY?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27082, 17 May 1949, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1949. PEANUTS FOR PROSPERITY?

The report that drought has seriously .affected the British Government’s ground-nut scheme in Tanganyika will increase the misgivings which have already been expressed concerning one of the major plans for colonial development. The ground-nut, commonly known as the peanut, has assumed an important position in international trade because of the world shortage of fats, the oil from the nut being a valuable substitute which is extensively used in the manufacture of margarine. Great Britain’s present shortage of groundnuts, has been estimated at 800,000 tons per annum and it is calculated that the '’world shortage of fats will persist for ten to twenty years. The plan has, therefore, attracted considerable attention in the United Kingdom and stimulated an interest in the African colonies to an unprecedented extent. It is also of interest to the dairy farmers of New Zealand because, if it is'successful, the market for their butter may be affected. After preliminary investigations the British Government decided early in 1947 that the prospects justified it in accepting the risk of the heavy expenditure involved and the work was commenced soon after. The full plan was for the cultivation of some 2,500,000 acres of land in Tanganyika as well as areas in Northern Rhodesia and Kenya, and to handle the expected trade three deep-water ports were to be constructed. The speed with which the extensive development was to be carried out was indicated by the estimate in a White Paper published in 1947 that by 1950-51 an annual return of 600,000 tons of ground-nuts could be expected. The difficulties encountered have, however, been far greater than were anticipated—so much so that- in the House of Commons two months ago the Opposition called for a Royal Commission to investigate. One of the first problems which had to be overcome —and qne which indicated a lack of adequate preparation—was a shortage of machinery to clear the forests. Eventually the Pacific jungles were combed to salvage military tractors and other equipment. During the recent Parliamentary debate it was contended that the plan would take twice as long to carry out as had been calculated and the cost would probably be twice as great. The original estimate of the cost was £25,000,000. Even more serious were the allegations that the reckless clearing of the natural vegetation had exposed the land to the risk of erosion and that there was a danger that a “ dust bowl ” might be created instead of flourishing farms. Anxiety was not allayed by the admissions of the. Minister of Food, Mr Strachey, that the cost would be much greater, and his defence that the shortage of fats was also much greater than had been forecast has seriously challenged. The latest information is' that only 50,000 acres of land have been cleared and sown, instead of 600,000, and the estimated yield—formerly placed at 56,000 tons—is said to be 2000 tons of ground-nuts and 1000 tons of sunflower seeds.