Islands Produce
p. 138 · Read in the full issue
(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency)
Copra
iNOTE: Following are 1953 MOF prices.
MOF contract rates for 1953 not yet officially announced.) 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 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 £F6I/10/- miii New Hebrides.—Recent quotation at 81 Metrop. francs kilo, c,i.f. Marseilles (approx. £AIO4/10/-, long ton).
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 Jan. 6 was £ 5tg.265 (£ A331/5/-) c.i.f. Cont. ports.
N.G.— £ A 275 approx, per ton, in store, Sydney.
New Hebrides.—Recent, sales in Sydney brought £ A240-£A2SO per ton, in store.
Samoa.—Sydney agents in January quoted Samoan cocoa at £ Stg.24o i £ A 300) f.o.b.* per ton, first grade. (Samoan currency equals Stg.).
COFFEE.—islands prices ruling in Sydney in January.
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 January shipment.—Papua- NG: 24V 2 d Stg. per lb., c.i.f. Sydney (approx. 30Vzd 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), Jan. 12; No. 1 grade RSS (sellers), spot lb., c.i.f. (approx. 31d 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 Brown. (On plantation Papua-NG approx. desiccated COCONUT. Sydney agents quote Ceylon, 1/7 V 2 lb. spot, de to store, Sydney. New Guinea: <VS/ 2 lb. spot, delivered in store, Sydney.
PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed be Torres Strait producers and Otto Q Co. (USA) for 1952 were: AA/A/B £ 85 cents lb. (£ABSO approx, per ton); C, 80c. / lb. (£ A 800); D. 55 (£ A 550); E, 40c. lb. (£A400); EE lb. (£ A3OO) —all c.i.f., New York.
Is.—American market has recently i increased interest, with quotations i cess of 35 cents U.S. per lb c Rarotonga.
TROCHUS SHELL.—lnterest in which has almost been negligibl Sydney during the past six m< diminished even further over the C mas period. Latest quotations are - 1 £ A 135 per ton; New Hebrides, i approx, per ton.
Green Snail Shell.—Sydney A
recently quoted: Ist grade, £AIBS-i per ton; 2nd grade, £AI4O per toi 8.5.1. shell.
London Prices
London, Nov.
Copra, c.i.f., Continental Ports, t New Hebrides .. 80,000 Metrop. f m ■ (£ AlO3/4/- ap F Tahiti 84,000 Metrop. f: (£AIO3/4/- ape FM Straits, Dec.-Jan. . .. £Stg.79 „ , (£ A99/7/6 app Ceylon, F.M.S N oi Philippines, bulk, Dec-Jan. .. US „ (£ A96/5/8 app Coconut Oil, c.i.f., ton.— FM Straits, 3Vz% drums .. .. £st (£ Al4l/5/- app Ceylon, bulk, resellers £st (£ Al4l/5/- app Philippines, afloat Nor Cocoa, per 50 kilos, c.i.f., Nth. tinental Ports, Stg.-Accra, Feb.-i 1 £ll/2/6 (£278 Aust. approx, long