Copra

Disorganised War Market May Lead to Better Prices

The copra market has been dislocated since the outbreak of war, and quo tations have been merely nominal. That is not expected to last long, however.

It is anticipated that Britain — or Britain and France, in conjunction—will take control of copra in Western Europe (as they are doing with various other commodities), and will organise supply and demand, on a fixed minimum price.

One newspaper has reported that the British Government will contract to take the whole copra production of the South Pacific, at an average price in excess of £10 sterling, per ton. This probably is merely a guess—but it does seem likely that some form of Government control will be imposed.

The South Pacific production (all terri tories from New Guinea to Tahiti, south of the equator) varies from 150,000 to 250,000 tons annually. Last year, it was 220,000 tons.

It is likely that a plan will have been announced before this journal has been read.

Planters probably will find that the long period of lean copra prices is at an end.