Islands Produce

<Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency)

Copra

(The following are based on the MOF contract prices for 1953 in the Territories named.) PAPUA-NEW GUINEA.— Copra Market ing Board rates: Main ports, Hot air, £7O per ton; FMS, £69/5/-; Smoked, £66/10/—at main ports (except Kokopo, where rates are 17/6 less). Sydney crushers pay: Plantation Hot-air; £9l; FMS, £9O/15/-; Smoked, £9O/2/6.

FIJI. —At Suva and Levuka, 1953: Plantation grade (60 points and over) £F66/5/6 per ton; FMS (45-57V 2 points)

£F66; other grades from £F64/15/-, down to £F62/15/-. w. SAMOA.—MOF contract is £Stg.6s per ton, f.0.b., Western Samoa; producers receive about £lO less.

BSl.—Prices based on MOP contract of £Stg.6s, per ton, f.o.b. Rates to pro ducers are: £A62/3/4 per ton, delivered Honiara; £A63/3/4, delivered Tulagi or Yandina; £A62/18/4, delivered Gizo.

NEW HEBRIDES.—Recent quotation: 94 Metrop. francs per kilo in store, Marseilles (£AI2I/5/10 approx, per long ton).

FRENCH OCEANIA.—Tahiti: 10.25 francs per kilo (£A74/6/- per long ton); Tuamotu 10.80 francs per kilo (£A74/6/per long ton).

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

Africa), quotation (from Colyer Watson Ltd., Sydney) for which on June 6 was £Stg.272/10/- (£A34O/12/6 approx.) c.i.f. ton, Cont. ports.

N.G.—£A2BO approx, per ton, in store, Sydney.

New Hebrides.—Sales to Prance recently brought: 250-255 Metrop. francs per kilo ( £ A322/11/ 7- £ A 329 approx, per long ton) for Superior grades; average grades, 240 Metrop. francs per kilo. (£A3O9 approx, per long ton).

Samoa.—Sydney agents in June quoted Samoan cocoa at £Stg.2so (£A3I2/10/-) f.o.b. per ton, first grade. (Samoan currency equals Stg.).

COFFEE.— lslands prices ruling in June were: Papua-N.G. —Little interest in Sydney lately owing to off season.

Market likely to liven in Oct.-Nov. when new season’s crop becomes available. Last price was at 7/6 approx, per lb. (approx. £B4O per ton), which was abnormally high.

New Caledonia. —Crop mainly ex ported to France. Recent quotation was 398 Metrop. francs per kilo (£ASI3 approx, per long ton).

RUBBER. Papua-New Guinea. —Market fluctuates from day to day, based on price ruling in Singapore. Quotation on June 8 was: 31-15/16d Aust. lb. Singapore rate June 8 No. 1 grade RSS (sellers) spot 66 7 sc lb. c.i.f. (approx. 29-l/16d Aust. lb.).

VANILLA BEANS. —Sydney quotation (by Victor Karp, Tulk <fe Co.j; White Label, 26/- per lb.; Yellow, 26/- c.i.f. Sydney.

Green, unavailable in Sydney at present.

RICE. —New season’s (1953-1954) price:

Papua-N.G.—Dry brown £9O per ton!

Dressed £96 per ton. All other Pacifil Territories, excluding NZ Dependancie# £96 per ton.

Desiccated Coconut. Sydney

agents quote Ceylon, l/7y 2 Stg. per lb. spot, delivered to store, Sydney (2/0 Aust. per lb.). New Guinea: 2/5% lb. spot, delivered in store, Sydney.

PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed between Torres Strait producers and Otto Gerdaa Co. (USA) for 1952-53: AA/A/B grade! 85 cents lb. (£ABSO approx, per long ton); C, 80c. lb. (£A800); D, 55c. lb. (£ A 550); E, 40c. lb. (£A400); EE, 30c. lb. (£A3OO) —all c.i.f., New York. New price expected shortly. Cook is.— American market firm at 35 cent!

U.S. per lb., f.o.b. Rarotonga. Pro! ducers currently receive 1/8 lb. Aust. (approx. £lB7 Aust. long ton). ManihikH blacklip; Divers receiving l/4d. NZ per lb. ( £AI79 per long ton). Tuamotu blacklipl Divers receive 47 Pac. fr. per kilo (£A336 per long ton) on beach.

TROCHUS SHELL.—No interest beej shown in shell in Sydney lately. Recent quotations were: 8.5.1., £AI3S per ton; New Hebrides, £AIBO approx, per ton; N.G., £ A205-£ A2lO per ton. Fiji, Japanese reported offering £FIBO per long ton during May.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney agentl recently quoted: N.G.—£22o per ton] N.H.—£22o per ton. 8.5.1.—£200 per ton} PEANUTS.—Papua-N.G., No sales in Sydney at present owing to competition from superior Australian grades. Last price was 2/- per lb.

London Prices

London, May 9. .

Copra, c.i.f., Continental ports, ton:— New Hebrides . .. 88.000 Metrop. franc]

(£ AllB approx. 3

Nominal FM Straits, April-May £ Stg.93 (£ All6/5/- appro*. )j Celyon, FMS Nominal Philippines, bulk, April-May .. US$255 (£AII2/18/- approx.) Coconut Oil, c.i.f., ton:— FM Straits, 3%% drums .. .. £Stg.l3l (£AI63/15/- annrox.) Ceylon, bulk £ Stg. 128 ( £ A 160) f Cocoa, per 50 kilos, c.i.f., Nth Con-1 tinental Ports.—Accra, May-July, £Stg.-l 12/10/- (£A2SO approx, per long ton).