Islands Produce

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency)

Copra

Papua-NG.—Copra Marketing Board price: Main ports, Hot-air, £69/5/- per ton; FMS, £69/5/-; Smoked, £6B/5/-, Sydney crushers pay; Plantation Hot-air, £9l; FMS, £9O/15/-; Smoked, £9O/2/6.

Australia has a 9 years’ UK contract (based on £Stg.s9/15/-, 1952).

Fiji.—At Suva and Levuka, 1952: Plan tation Grade (60 points and over) £F6S/0/6 per ton; FMS (45-57% points), £F64/15/-; Lower Grade £F6I/10/- min

New Hebrides.—Marseilles quoted, Sept. 30, sellers 71.50 Metrop. fr. kilo, buyers 71.00 Metrop. fr. kilo.

Samoa.—MOP contract is at £65 Stg. per ton Western Samoa; producers re ceive about £lO less.

BSL—Growers receive £A63/10/- per ton, delivered Honiara or £A63/15/- Yan dina, under MOP contract.

Tahiti.—Recent price for Papeete copra- Dry. 7.80 Pac. frs. kilo (£ASS/4/- long ton); Super dry, 8.20 Pac. frs. kilo (£ASB/11/- long ton).

COCOA.—lslands prices are usually based on rate for Accra cocoa (W.

Africa), quotation (from Colyer Watson Ltd., Sydney) for which on Oct. 1 was £ 5tg.257/10/- (£ A321/17/6) c.i.f. Cont. ports.

Pacific cocoa was quoted in October at:— N.G.—£A26O approx, per ton, ex wharf, Sydney.

New Hebrides.—Recent shipments to USA brought $548.50 per ton (£A22B/10/- per ton). Marseilles quota tion (Sept. 30): 398-400 Metrop. fr. kilo, in bond.

Samoa.—Sydney agents in October quoted Samoan cocoa at £S2SO (£A3I2/10/-) f.o.br per ton, first grade. (Samoan currency equals Stg.).

COFFEE.—lslands prices ruling in Sydney in October:— Papua-NG.—lst grade, approx. 7/6 lb. ex-wharf Sydney (approx. £Bl5 per ton).

New Caledonia.—Crop mainly exported to Prance. Marseilles recently quoted: 376-378 M. fr. kilo, ex-store (£A4BS - long ton).

RUBBER.—Australian Rubber Pool quo tation for October shipment.—Papua- NG: 20 27/64d. Stg. per lb., c.i.f. Sydney (25y 2 d Aust.)—Papuan rubber is allowed in primage-free (10 per cent, from elsewhere). Singapore rate (used by Australian firms as basis for buying Papuan rubber), Oct. 1; No. 1 grade RSS (sellers), spot, 75 7 / a c. lb., c.i.f. (28 5/6d Aust. lb.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Sydney quotation (by Victor Karp, Tulk & Co.): White Label, 21/9, Yellow, 21/9, Green, 19/9 per lb., c.i.f., Sydney.

RlCE.—Rice shipped from Sydney to Islands was fixed in October, 1951, at £75 per ton. f.0.b., White, Unpolished and Brown. (On plantation Papua-NG approx. £100).

Desiccated Coconut. Sydney

agents quote Ceylon, 1/6% lb. spot, de livered to store, Sydney. New Gnine* 2/5% lb. spot, delivered in store, Sydne PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed betwee Torres Strait producers and Otto Qerdil Co. (USA) for 1952 were: AA/A/B gradi: 85 cents lb. (£ABSO approx, per loi< ton); C, 80c. lb. (£ A 800); D, 55c. I (£ A 550); E, 40c. lb. (£A400); EE, 30 lb. (£A3oo)—all c.i.f., New York. Com Is.—U.S. buyers recently offered to pul chase 12 months’ output from individia shippers at firm guaranteed prices arour 35 cents U.S. per lb„ c. & f., Rarotomi (£ A 350 per long ton).

TROCHUS SHELL.—In October, Sydnu agents quoted: £AI3S per ton for B.S.i shell. New Hebrides: Recent sales Sydney at £A9S per ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney agenr in October quoted: Ist grade, £AIBS pc ton, 2nd grade, £AI4O per ton for 8.5.; shell.

London Prices

London, Aug. 21.

Copra, c.i.f., Continental Ports, ton:-.

New Hebrides, Metrop. frs. nominal 70,00' Tahiti, Metrop. frs nominal 72,00' FM Straits/DEI, nominal .. £ StgsB/5 A i Ceylon, P.M.S Nominu

Philippines, bulk, Sept.-Oct. . .. US$l4

Coconut Oil, c.i.f., ton:— FM Straits, 3%%, drums .. .. £Stg.B Ceylon, 1% bulk, Sept.-Oct. .. £Stg.B Philippines, afloat US$2O Cocoa, per 50 kilos, c.i.f., NtH Continental ports, Stg.:— Accra, Oct.-Dec., 257/6; Nov.-Jan., 252/1'