Collapse of Italian monopolies devastated the Somali plantation economy
Evidence
Once the elements of civil order had been restored, the most pressing problem facing the new administration was the serious economic situation created by the collapse of the various Italian para-statal monopolies. The plantations on the Shebelle and Juba were in a sad plight, many of the Italian farmers having fled to the towns; the Somali labour force had virtually disappeared, and looting had caused widespread damage. Of the major concerns, the least affected was the S.A.I.S. enterprise at Villagio which was still in production and still enjoyed a considerable complement of manpower, a tribute to the better conditions and labour relations prevailing there. At Genale, by contrast, the British Administration found that only six out of 136 holdings were still under effective production, and after several weeks of strenuous effort only 500 of a required labour force of 8,000 had reported for work. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 324
Categorization
- XREF: The Genale figure (6 of 136 holdings producing) complements the earlier chapter’s account of Italian plantation agriculture in southern Somalia — Lewis’s economic thread.