Islands Produce
p. 90 · Read in the full issue
(Quotations in Australian Currency)
Cocoa
Cocoa beans imported into Australia from the Pacific Islands come mainly from New Guinea and the New Hebrides and are purchased almost wholly by the Commonwealth Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturers’ Association. Their buying price, of course, is based on the current price of Accra beans, now in exceedingly short supply. Latest quotations for sales of cocoa beans are New Guinea: £240 per ton.
New Hebrides: £240/7/6 per ton.
A small parcel of NG cocoa, not up to first class standard, was disposed of independently by a Sydney merchant recently at the rate of £225.
Western Samoa’s cocoa production goes almost wholly to USA.
Trochus Shell
Irregular shipments are handled in Sydney by several different Islands trading firms. Nominal quotations show prices at approximately £75 per ton, Sydney. Sales in Suva have been made recently around £45 (Fijian) per ton.
Coffee
No purchases are permitted in Australia without the consent of the Tea and Coffee Control Board, to whom all offers must first be submitted. Nominal quotations as follows: New Guinea and Papua: £l2O to £l6O per ton (c.i.f.), according to quality.
New Caledonia; Production is being taken by France, at considerably higher than normal rates (in vicinity of equivalent of £2OO Aust. per ton for Arabica and £l6O Aust. for Robusta).
Java: No quotations at present.
Mysore (India): £2OO to £250 per ton (c.i.f., Sydney).
Vanilla Beans
No supplies available—traders are not making any firm quotations.
Kapok
Only a small movement in Javanese kapok, with the nominal quotation at 2/IV 2 per lb.
Indian kapok is being quoted for Indent at 1/6 per lb. c.i.f. stg.
Cotton
Still controlled in Australia —stocks are being made available to manufacturers at the following rates: For spinning and weaving yarns, 14y 2 d. per lb.; cordage making, ll%d. per lb.; condenser yarn. 12d. per lb.
Ivory Nuts
No firm quotations available—no supplies have been received from the Pacific Islands by Aus tralian firms since the war.
Rice
No free-trading in rice at present. The whole of the Australian rice crop goes to the Govern ment for allocation to countries where rice is a staple of the native peoples. Rice shipped to Pacific Islands ports is fixed at a price of £45 per ton White and £49 per ton Brown.
Green Snail Shell
Recent dealings on the Sydney market have been at £lOO per ton, f.a.q., in store.
Pearl Shell
Australian-controlled price:— “B ’ Class, £2OO per ton. “C” Class, £l9O per ton. “D” Class. £135 per ton.
Unofficial transactions are reported, however, at considerably more than double these figures.
American firms are quoting £525 per ton for Torres Strait pearl shell.