Annual report on Sierra Leone / Colonial Office.

  • Colonial Office
Date:
[1954]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on Sierra Leone / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/116 (page 4)
    ECONOMIC The economy of Sierra Leone depends largely on agricultural pr< duction for both home consumption and export to overseas market Agricultural products form a large part of the internal and extern; trade of the country. In 1954 both the volume and value of the main agricultural expori were higher than those for 1953 and this was achieved in spite of slight fall of 824 tons in the volume of palm kernels and a substanti; fall of 1,544 tons in the volume of groundnuts. The increase in the value of agricultural exports in 1954 as compare with 1953 was more than proportionate to the increase in the tonna§ exported. This was the result of the boom conditions which prevaile for a good part of the year in the coffee, cocoa, and ginger market The total contribution of these commodities to receipts from agricu tural exports in 1954 was £1,828,000 as compared with £931,000 in 195 and £710,000 in 1950. Piassava production increased during 1954 an 5,693 tons were exported as against 2,646 tons in 1953; the f.o.b. value were £334,210 and £192,452 respectively. The high level of prosperity of which mention was made in the 195 Report was maintained in 1954 with a further increase in internal pui chasing power. The value of imports exceeded exports by nearly £1 Jn but this apparent adverse balance of trade is believed to be accounte for by receipts from illicit diamond exports. Mineral exports showed a fall as compared with 1953 and this is th factor responsible for the overall fall in export values in 1954. Tb principal item responsible for this decrease was iron ore, exports c which dropped from 1,200,240 tons in 1953 to 877,306 in 1954 and th corresponding drop in value was £1,638,105. The fall in the export c this commodity was largely due to the drop in exports to German from 241,390 tons in 1953 to 27,800 in 1954. There were no new developments in the processing of primary prc ducts. The Pioneer oil palm mills operated by the Sierra Leone Prc duce Marketing Board in various producing areas in the Protectory were unable to work to full capacity because supplies of fruit wei inadequate. These mills depend on individual farmers bringing in the fruit and production has been severley set back as a result of laboi being attracted to other occupations. Production of groundnut oil and cake by the plant operated by til Department of Commerce and Industry was small but the quality <| oil produced was satisfactory for the local market. Given an adequa supply of groundnuts this plant is capable of satisfying local requirl ments of groundnut oil, and can also be used for palm kernel oil prl duction during the groundnut “ off-season.” DEVELOPMENT The main buildings and installations of the Queen Elizabeth Quay were completed early in the year and the quay was formal opened on the 1st of May. I I