In the late 1950s, Fiji experienced a decline in its copra production, primarily due to aging coconut trees and ineffective replanting strategies. This was emphasized by W.G. Johnson in a speech reported by The Fiji Times on August 18, 1959.
In 1956, Fiji’s copra output stood at 40,000 tons. However, this figure decreased to 33,000 tons in 1957 and further to 31,000 tons in 1958. Johnson predicted that by 1959, production could drop to approximately 28,000 tons, which would significantly impact the colony’s revenue, although high prices in 1959 had somewhat mitigated the decline.
Johnson expressed concerns for the future, stating that a return to more stable and reasonable prices did not offer a positive outlook. He noted that establishing coconut plantations on unexploited land, which requires clearing bush and waiting seven to ten years for the trees to bear fruit, was both financially and logistically challenging.
He pointed out that many plantations were becoming outdated, leading to decreased productivity due to tree losses from storms and lightning. Johnson urged the Fijian population to take initiative, suggesting they plant more coconut trees on any available suitable land, as these trees could produce for about 65 years.
By the 1950s, copra production was largely split between plantations owned predominantly by Europeans and part-Europeans, accounting for 40 percent, while local landowners managed the remaining 60 percent. Records from 1958 indicated that the copra quality varied, with 9 percent being hot air-dried copra, 41 percent classified as fair merchantable copra 1, 44 percent as fair merchantable copra 2, and 6 percent as sub-standard copra.