Islands Produce

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency)

Copra

Papua-NG.—Production Control Board price; Main ports. Hot-air, £64/10/- per ton; FMS, £63/10/-; Smoked, £62/17/6.

Sydney crushers pay: Plantation Hot-air FMS ' . £B3 /5/-; Smoked, £B2/12/6. Australia has 9 years’ contract with UK (based on £Stg.s9/15/-, 1952).

Fiji.—At Suva and Levuka, 1952: Plan tation Grade (60 points and oven £FS9/5/6 per ton; FMS (45-57y 2 points) £FS9; Lower Grades £FS7/15/-/£FSS/15/-.

Copra, 35 points and under is rejected.

Samoa.—Producers receive £S49/11/-

(par with Stg.) per ton. f.0.b.; Apia based on MOF rate of £Stg.s9/15/- less taxes. rowers are now receiving £A63/15/- per ton, f.0.b., Honiara or Yandina under the MOF contract.

New Hebrides.—London quotation Dec. 27, 86,500 Metropolitan francs (approx £ AllO/2/-) per ton. d.w., c.i.f. Cont. ports.

Tahiti.—Effective Dec. 23, 1951, prices paid in Papeete to producers for two grades are; “Local,” 7.10 Pac. fr per kilo.; “Very Dried,” 7.50 Pac. fr. per kilo. (Equivalent to £ASI/15/- and £AS2/15/6 per long ton respectively.) COCOA.—lslands prices are usually based on rate for Accra cocoa (W.

Africa), quotation (from Colyer Watson Ltd., Sydney) for which on February 11 was £Stg.3ls (£A393/15/-) c.i.f. Feb- April shipment.

Pacific cocoa was quoted nominally on Sydney market in February at;— New Guinea.—£A29o per ton, ex wharf.

New Hebrides.—Nominally £A2BS.

Samoa.—Sydney agents in February quoted Samoan cocoa at £S26O (£A325) f.o.b. per ton, first grade. (Samoan currency equals Stg.) COFFEE.—New Caledonia.—Production exported to France at nominal equivalent of £ A5OO per ton, Arabica; £A46P, Robusta.

Papua-NG.—Nominally £4lO to £440 per ton (c.i.f.), according to quality.

RUBBER.—Sydney firms use London and Singapore rates as basis to buy Papuan rubber. Feb. 6; No. 1 grade, RSS (sellers) Spot, 38%d. Stg. lb., c.i.f., London (48y 2 d. Aust. lb.); Singapore, RSS No. 1, 129V4d. cents lb., f.o.b.

VANILLA BEANS.—Sydney quotation (by Victor Karp, Tulk & Co.): White Label 18/-; Yellow, 18/-; Green, 16/9 per lb., c.i.f., Sydney.

RlCE.—Rice shipped from Sydney to Islands was fixed in May at £6O per ton, f.0.b., White, Unpolished and Brown. (On plantation in Papua-N.G., approx. £85.) DESICCATED COCONUT.—Sydney agents quoted Ceylon 1/5 Feb., l/4-7/Bd. March shipment, delivered to store, Sydney, market weakening. New Guinea, 1/5 lb. in cartons; 1/4 y 2 in bags.

PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed Torres Strait producers and Otto Co. (USA) for 1952 are: AA/A/B 85 cents lb. (£ABSO approx, pi ton); C, 80c. lb. (£ A 800); D, (£ A 550); E, 40c. lb. (£A400); E lb. (£ A 300).

TROCHUS SHELL.—Market for Pacific trochus very dull. Most will quote only upon inspection, with overseas buyers showing littl interest. Torres Strait.—l9sl £ A 450 (approx.) per ton; at 1952 season: £ABO, f.0.b., Aust.

Reported Japan offering £Ai: February shipment.

Green Snail Shell.—Nomini

tation is at £165-£l7O per ton, on Sydney.