Islands Produce
p. 146 · Read in the full issue
{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 (45-57V 2 points), £F64/15/-; Lower Grade £P6I/10/- min.
New Hebrides.—Recent quotation at 81
Metrop. francs kilo, c.i.f. Marseilles, iapprox. £AIO4/10/-, long ton).
Samoa.—MOF 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 Dec. 8 was £ 5tg.237/10/- (£A296/17/6) c.i.f. Cont. ports.
N.G. — £ A2BO per ton, in store, Sydney.
New Hebrides.—Recent shipments to USA brought $550 f.o.b. per ton (£A247 per ton).
Samoa. —Sydney agents in December quoted Samoan cocoa at £ 5tg.235 (£A293/15/-) f.o.b. per ton, first grade. (Samoan currency equals Stg.).
COFFEE.—lslands prices ruling in Sydney in December:— Papua-N.G.—Arabica, approx. 6/- lb. ex. wharf Sydney (approx. £672 per ton).
Owing to import restrictions affecting shipments from elsewhere, Papua-N.G. coffee is bringing high prices in Sydney at present. However, trade indications are that it will level off at about 5/- lb., within the next few months.
New Caledonia.—Crop mainly exported to France. Marseilles price recently was equivalent to approximately £A64O per ton, ex wharf.
RUBBER.—Australian Rubber Pool quo tation for December shipment.—Papua- NG: 23%d. Stg. per lb., c.i.f. Sydney i approx. 29y 8 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), Dec. 9; No. 1 grade RSS • sellers), spot 95%c. lb., c.i.f. (approx 35 3 /4d. Aust. lb.).
VANILLA BEANS.—Sydney quotation (by Victor Karp. Tulk & Co.): White Label, 22/-, Yellow, 22/-, Green, 21/- per lb c.i.f., Sydney.
RlCE.—Rice shipped from Sydney to Islands was fixed last year, at £75 per ton, f.0.b.. White, Unpolished and -own. (On plantation Papua-NG approx.
Desiccated Coconut. Syr
agents quote Ceylon, 1/7% lb. spot, livered to store, Sydney. New Guiii 2/5 V 2 lb. spot, delivered in store, Sydb PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed betw Torres Strait producers and Otto Gen; Co. (USA) for 1952 were; AA/A/B gr«i 85 cents lb. (£ABSO approx, per I ton); C, 80c. lb. (£A800); D, 55c. . ( £ A 550): E, 40c. lb. (£A400); EE, lb. (£ A3OO) —all c.i.f., New York. O Is.—American market has recently she increased interest, with quotations in j cess of 35 cents U.S. per lb., c. SSb Rarotonga. Current production is ported to be about 50 tons per montH: TROCHUS SHELL.—Sydney agents cently quoted: £AI3S per ton for B.! shell. New Hebrides: Last sales Sydney were at £A9S per ton.
GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney age; recently quoted: Ist grade, £AIBS-£a' per ton; 2nd grade, £AI4O per ton 8.5.1. shell.
London Prices
London, Oct. 2I£
Copra, c.i.f., Continental Ports, tor< New Hebrides, Metrop. francs . . 79,( Tahiti, Metrop. francs 81,J FM Straits, Nov.-Dec. .. £Stg.77/i' Ceylon, P.M.S NomL Philippines, bulk, Nov.-Dee. .. US $2O) Coconut Oil, c.i.f., ton— PM Straits, 3V 2 %, drums . .. £Stg.j Ceylon, 1% bulk, Nov.-Dec. .. £Stg.i Philippines, afloat US $5 Cocoa, per 50 kilos, c.i.f., Nth. CC tinental Ports, Stg.— Accra, Nov.- Jan., 237/6; Dec.-Feb., 235!