§ 68. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any groundnut scheme similar to that for East Africa is also to be applied to West Africa; to what extent the production and export of West African groundnuts has progressed in recent years; and whether any action is to be taken to avoid disadvantageous 200W competition between the two areas respecting groundnuts and an adverse effect upon the West African trade.
Mr. Creech JonesThe possibility of initiating a scheme for the mechanised production of groundnuts in West Africa is under urgent consideration in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food, but I am not able to make a statement at the moment. Production in West Africa has increased in recent years, and purchases of decorticated groundnuts for export from the British West African territories in the last three crop years have been progressively 260, 330 and 355 thousand ton. In view of the present and prospective world shortage of oils and fats, I do not anticipate competition of the type my hon. Friend fears between East and West Africa.