Fiji Copra

Price Guaranteed British Ministry of Food Will be in the Market Until the End of 1947

Suva, Feb. 14.

fTIHE British Ministry of Food has inti- JL mated that it is prepared to buy Fiji’s copra at the existing price until the end of 1947.

Present buying price, fixed by the Fiji Copra Control Committee, to growers at Suva and Levuka, is £lB/5/6 for planta tion grade and £lB for FMS grade. There have been two local adjustments of prices in the past two months, but it is stressed by the local authorities that although the Ministry guarantees to purchase copra at a certain price, this refers only to the f.o.b. price paid by the Ministry and does not necessarily mean that the buying price within the Colony will not occasion ally be readjusted.

At the time of the last “adjustment,” in January ( FMS grade rose 2/6 and plantation grade dropped 22/6 per ton), it was stated that this was in order to bring the difference in the prices for the two grades into line with the difference in prices paid by the Ministry—to wit, 5/6 per ton. As the Ministry now guaran tees the present f.o.b. price until the end of 1947, presumably the only readjust ments that can occur are local ones in respect of handling charges, transport costs, etc.