§ 39. Sir Joseph Leechasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what active steps he has taken or is taking to develop the export of agricultural produce from Gambia and Sierra Leone to foreign countries and to the British Empire?
§ The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Malcolm MacDonald)Special attention has been paid to the improvement of the quality of export produce from these territories by the institution of produce inspection, which now applies to groundnuts, palm kernels, beeswax and hides and skins in the Gambia, and to palm kernels, palm oil, beeswax, and ginger in Sierra Leone. Attention is also being given to the encouragement of the extension of production for export of hides and skins in the Gambia and of palm kernels, palm oil, piassava, kola, ginger, and hides and skins in Sierra Leone. In the latter Colony much attention is also being paid to the development of rice production, primarily to meet internal needs but also with a view to the ultimate development of an export trade.