£10 Higher
p. 17 · Read in the full issue
Consumer Price of N. Guinea Copra
IT became known, at the end of July, that Australian consumers of copra were being charged the following prices by New Guinea Production Control Board (Government-owned and con trolled) ; Per ton.
Hot-air-cured and Sun-dried . £5l 5 0 Smoked 50 5 0 The rise came into effect on July 22. and it is an advance of approximately £lO per ton on the rates previously rul ing.
When the price to the Australian con sumer was about £42 per ton, the price allowed to the Papua-New Guinea pro ducers was around £3O per ton.
It is now expected that the price to the producers will be increased bv about £lO per ton. That, however, is arranged by the Department of External Territories at Canberra, and is usuallv announced by the Minister. As the present Minister (Mr. Ward) is abroad, and not expected back in Australia much before September, no announcement of an increased price is likely, for a while.
Producers, however, are confident that the higher prices will be retrospective— that they will operate as from the last week of July.