Cost of Making Copra 413 



This area (3,000 acres) in bearing should 

 give (at 2,000 nuts to the acre, and 6,000 nuts 

 to the ton of copra) 1,000 tons of copra costing 

 $ 135. per ton (say 243. 4d. x 3), as above for 

 upkeep ; add another i 75. per ton, or ,1,350 

 a year, for renewals of supplies, &c., wear and 

 tear, and sinking fund for labourers' buildings 

 (if any), cultivating implements and estates' 

 supplies, conting-encies, &c., makes the cost of 

 producing 6,000 nuts = i ton copra, exactly 

 $. In the estimate for making the copra 

 must be included depreciation or sinking fund 

 on buildings, machinery (if any), labour, bags 

 and bagging, say 655. ton, plus ,3,750 interest 

 on capital value of the estate (3,000 acres at 



2 5 =;f75 000 ) ---' $ 1 5 S - a ton > whilst the 

 remaining 6os. or $ would go for transport, 

 freight, &c., = ,15 ton in all c. and f. Suppose 

 the copra costs ,12 only, or ,18, then we still 

 suggest that these same proportions for estate 

 work, copra-making and interest, transport, and 

 contingencies would stand pro rata. In the 

 above we have not calculated anything for 

 coir-fibre or other by-products, nor for catch- 

 crops, either their upkeep or profit, but for cost 

 of producing the coco-nuts and making and 

 transporting copra only, and that from trees 

 that are practically in full bearing. 1 Having 

 thus made the start and shown our hand, it 

 was up to others to explain where we were 

 wrong, or confirm our statement where we 



1 See p. 418 as to why the yield fell so low.' 



