PRICE OF BANANAS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 931, 29 November 1933, Page 5

PRICE OF BANANAS.

Advance Made to Samoan Growers. ADMINISTRATION ACTS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, November 28. The Samoan correspondent of the Press Association, in , a message dated Apia, November 16, states:— The Administration has advanced the price of bananas to growers from 3s to 4s per case for November and December shipments by the Maui Ponlare. With the commencement of the 1934 contract in January next, the price will be raised a further Is to 5s per case. When the price was cut to 2s per case some growers threatened to quit, as at that figure it was a losing proposition. Later orf the Administration increased the price to 3s, which enabled them to carry on. With the output close on 7000 cases per month, an advance of 2s per case next year will put approximately £7OO more per month in circulation amongst, the Samoans. Owing to the low prices prevailing for copra and cocoa, the Administration has reduced the export duty on copra from 30s per ton to 20s, and remitted the lull duty of £2 per ton on cocoa. Cocoa dropped as low as £lO per ton for first grade and £7 IUS' second grade, but has since improved to around £2O for first grade. The price cf copra is still very low and Samoans are not inclined to cut at the prices paid. In some districts the price is as low as 6d for 1001 b. As a remission of 10s on the duty will be passed on to the natives the price will be slightly increased.