Islands Produce

[Copyright by “Pacific Islands Monthly”.!

Coffee

THE following quotations were obtained in Sydney in mid-February;— Robusta, f.a.q., imported from Java on firm conversion of exchange, c.i.f., prompt shipment.

Sydney: Quote No. 1: 28/- per cwt. (February shipment); quote No. 2: 20/3 per cwt.

Kenya, f.a.q., immediate shipment, c.i.f., Syd ney, per cwt.—No. 1 quotations: (New season prompt shipment)—Grade “A”, 60/-; grade “B”. 58/6; grade “C”. 55/-; Triage. 39/-. No. 2 quotations: Grade “A”: New season’s supplies are not yet available. Last quote was 59/-; grade “B”, new season, 48/-; grade “C”, new season, 53/-; Triage, 39/- (drought coffee), No. 3 quotations: Grade “B”, 61/-; grade “C”, 54/-.

Mysore, f.a.q., March-April shipment, c.i.f., Sydney, per cwt. No. 1 quotations; Grade “A”, 63/-; grade “B”, 56/-. No. 2 quotations: Grade “A”, 59/-; grade “B”, 57/-; Triage, January ship ment, 49/-.

Arabian (Aden) Hodeidah, f.a.q., immediate shipment, c.i.f., Sydney—No. 1 Quotation, July- Aug. shipment: 62/6 per cwt. No. 2 quotation, 64/i per cwt.

Note; Importers of coffee from Java, etc., pay the following additional charges: Exchange, duty (4d. lb.), primage (10 per cent.), landing 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-February were: Average Java, 7 27-32 d. per lb., and Prime Japara, 7 7-16 d. per lb.

Cocoa

Quote No. 1: Cocoa beans, £3O per ton.

ton U ° te N °' 2 " NeW Guinea cocoa £26-28 per Quote No. 3; Accra, good fermented, Feb.-Mar shipment, £25/10/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney. *

Cotton

London c.i.f. cotton nrices during the month were; January 13, 4.84 d. lb., February shipment: January 20, 4.83 d. lb., February shipment; January 27, 4.78 d. lb., Pebruary-March shipment: 3 ’ 4-78 - Ib -> March shipment; February 10, 4.70 d. lb., March shipment.

Ivory Nuts

No. 1 quotation: £6 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/ Sydney. 2 °° lb ’ SaCtS ' £l2/5/ ' pcr ton ' Australian table rice, packed in 56 lb. bags £lB per ton. 8 ’

Trochus Shell

Owing to Japan’s restrictions on oversea sredlts, 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 £44 All quotes are f.0.b., and on the Australian £.

Green Snail Shell

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

Mother of Pearl Shell

At the sales of Mother of Pearl Shell held in London in January, a large supply of Torres Strait shell came forward and was sold at prices ranging from £6/5/- (sterling) per cwt. for A.A. Chicken to £3/7/6 (sterling) for fair de fective pickings. There was no New Guinea shell offered. 119 packages of Penryhn Island (Cook Group), Black Edged were put up 20 being sold at £l/10/-. Of 875 packages of Darwin shell, 530 were sold for £6/12/6 for fair to good colour Chicken to £3/17/6 for fair de fective pickings. Prices generally were steady although small shell was 5/- to 10/- dearer.