§ 70. Mr. J. Fosterasked the Minister of Food what are the reasons for the shortage of bananas.
§ Mr. StracheyThe main reasons are our inability to buy from dollar sources and the fact that Jamaica, which before the war sent us about two-thirds of our supplies, has not yet recovered from the deterioration of the plantations during the war years and the ravages of plant diseases. However, supplies have risen from 99,000 tons in 1946, to an estimated 160,000 tons this year.