Islands Produce

[Copyright by “Pacific Islands Monthly”.]

Coffee

THE following quotations were obtained in Sydney in mid-November:— Robusta, f.a.q., imported from Java on firm conversion of exchange, c.i.f., prompt shipment, Sydney; Quote No. 1: 22/7 per cwt. (new season prompt shipment): quote No. 2: 20/9 per cwt.

Kenya, f.a.q.. Immediate shipment, c.i.f., Syd ney, per cwt.:—No. 1 quotations; Grade “A”, 60/-; grade “B”, 55/-; grade “C”, 50/-. Triage 45/-. No. 2 quotations (new' season prompt ship ment) : Grade “A” 58/6; grade “B” 47/6; grade “C” 56/-. Triage. 39/- (drought coffee), No. 3 quotations: Grade “B”, 54/-; grade “C”, 46/-, Mysore, f.a.q., prompt shipment, c.i.f., Sydney, per cwt.; No. 1 quotations: Grade “A”, 56/-; grade “B”, 49/-. No. 2 quotations: Grade “A”, 59/-; grade “B”, 54/-. Triage, Jan.-March shipment, 48/-.

Arabian (Aden) Hodeidah, f.a.q., Immediate shipment, c.i.f., Sydney—No. 1 quotation: 68/6 per cwt. No. 2 quotation, 73/- per cwt.

Note: Importers of coffee from Java, etc., pay the following additional charges: Exchange, duty (4d. lb.), primage (10 per cent.), land ing costs (1/- per cwt). Coffee from Papua and New Guinea escapes most of these charges.

Kapok

Based on firm conversion of exchange, the c.i.f. official prices for kapok quoted in Sydney in mid-November were; Average Java 7 27-32 d per lb., and prime Japara, 7 7-16 d. per lb.

Cocoa

Quote No. 1; Cocoa beans, £36-£4O per ton Quote No. 2: New Guinea cocoa £29-£3l per ton.

Quote No. 3: Accra, good fermented Jan.- Feb. shipment £24/15/- per ton; Feb.-Mar. shipment, £25/10/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

Cotton

London c.i.f. cotton prices during the month were: October 14, 4.01 d. lb., November shipment: October 21, 4.84 d. lb., November shipment; Oc tober 28, 4.83 d. lb., November shipment; Novem ber 4,4.78 d. lb., December shipment; Novem ber 11, 4.79 d. per lb., December shipment.

Ivory Nuts

No. 1 quotation: £7 per ton, f.o.b.

No. 2 quotation: £7 per ton, f.0.b., Sydney.

Quotations nominal.

Rice

Rangoon rice: packed in 100 lb. bags, £l2/ 10/ per ton; 200 lb. bags. £l2/5/ per ton, f.0.b., Sydney.

Australian table rice, packed in 56 lb. bags, £lB per ton.

Trochus Shell

Owing to Japan’s restrictions on oversea credits, there have been no sales for some time.

Quotations are nominal.

The following quotations, by two firms, re present last sales, several months ago:— (a) Trochus shell, No. 1 grade £65 Trochus shell, No. 2 grade £57 Trochus shell, No. 3 grade £44 (b) Trochus shell, No. 1 grade £6B Trochus shell, No. 2 grade £6O Trochus shell. No. 3 grade £45 All quotes are f.0.b., and on the Australian £.

Mother of Pearl Shell

At the last sales of Mother of Pearl Shell held in London, a large supply of Torres Strait shell came forward and wsa sold at prices ranging from £125 (sterling) for A.A. chicken to £62 (sterling) for fair defective pickings.

There was no New Guinea shell offered; 20 packages of Black Edged Tahitian shell were put up, but were mostly withdrawn. 260 pack

ages of Darwin shell fetched £132 (sterling) for Ist. grade to £7O (sterling) for fair de fective pickings. Prices generally were lower than the previous sale, although small shell was firm.

Green Snail Shell

Green snail shell, good quality, was quoted by Sydney buyers in mid-November, at £5O per ton.