Islands Produce

<Unlcss otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency)

Copra

(The following are based on the MOF contract prices in the Territories named.) t'APUA-iNt.w GUINEA.—Copra Market ing Board rates; Main ports. Hot air. £75 per ton; FMS, £74/5/-; Smoked, £7l/10/- —at main ports (except Kokopo, where rates are 17/6 less). Sydney crushers will pay, in 1954: Plantatiod Hot-air; £97, FMS £97, Smoked, £96.

The above prices were officially announced on March 12, to operate from January 1.

FIJI,—At Suva and Levuka, 1954:

Plantation grade (60 points and over) £F7O/15/6 per ton; FMS (45-57V 2 points) £F7O/10/-.

W. SAMOA.—MOF (1953) contract was £Stg.6s per ton, f.0.b., Western Samoa; producers received about £ 10 less. 1954 price is expected to increase by 7y 2 per cent.

BSl.—Prices based on 1953 MOF con tract of £Stg.6s, per ton, f.o.b. Rates to producers were: £A62/3/4 per ton, delivered Honiara; £A63/3/4, delivered Tulagi or Yandina; £A62/18/4, delivered Gizo. 1954 price is expected to increase by 7V 2 per cent.

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

Africa), quotation (from Colyer Watson Ltd., Sydney) for which on March 31 was £Stg.442/10/- (£A553/2/6 approx.) c.i.f., ton, Cont. ports.

N.G. — £5lO approx, per ton, in store, Sydney.

Samoa.—Sydney agents in March quoted Samoa cocoa at £Stg.43o (£A537/6/approx.), f.o.b. per ton, first grade. (Samoan currency equals Stg.).

COFFEE.—P.-N.G. Overseas market in creases have brought Territories coffee to 6/- per lb. All supplies assured of quick sale.

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

RUBBER.—Market still weakening.

Papua - New Guinea. —Price based on Singapore figure which fluctuates from day to day. Quotation on March 12 was 26-2/3d Aust. lb. Singapore rate March 12 No. 1 grade RSS (sellers) spot 53 7 / s c. lb. c.i.f. (approx. 24-l/3d Aust. lb.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Sydney nominal quotations (by Victor Karp, Tulk & Co.): Tahiti.—Stocks still unavailable. New season expected to commence about July.

Nominal price white & yellow, 60/- c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE. —Price for 1954. Papua - N.G. — Dry brown £9O per ton; dressed £96 per ton. Other Pacific Is., except NZ de pendencies, £96 per ton.

PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed between Torres Strait producers and Otto Gerdau Co. (USA) for 1954: AA/A/B grades. 85c lb. ( £ABSO approx, per long ton); C. 80c lb. (£ A 800); D, 55c lb. (£ASSO); E, 40c lb. ( £ A 400); EE. 30c lb. (£A3OO)

all c.i.f., New York. No change froi last season. Manihikl. — £NZ292 (£A36£ c.i.f., Auckland. Rarotonga.— £NZ2! (£ A287/10/-) f.0.b., Auckland.

Trochus Shell.—N.G.: £2Bo Per Tc

ex-wharf less rejects. Market very quie sales difficult to confirm. Price indicate only. Fiji, £F2OO per ton f.0.b., Suv GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Market fair steady in Sydney at present. N.G., £2: per ton less rejects. N.H., £205 per tc free ex-wharf. 8.5.1., No. 1 grade £l7' £l9O, Spotted £BO both per ton e: wharf.

PEANUTS. —P.N.G.: Quality of nuts in proved. Recent price was 2/- lb. wi' kernels. Market expected to ease slight; when Australian nuts are again availabl

London Prices

LONDON, March 5.

Copra, c.i.f., Continental Ports, ton;: New Hebrides .. .. 97,500 Metrop. frani (£ A125/16/- approx Tahiti 98,500 Metrop. fran (£ A 127 approx FM Straits £Stg. (£ AlOO appro* Philippines, bulk, March $2 (£ A9l/10/- appro* Coconut Oil, c.i.f., Continental Por ton;— „_. FM Straits, 3y 2 % £ Stg.3l (£ Al7O appro* Ceylon, Jan £ Stg.l (£ Al6B/15/- appro: Cocoa, per 50 kilos, c.i.f., Nth. Coe tinental Ports;— Accra, March £Stg.22/l( (£ A 565 approx, per long toi

Islands Mining Shari

Fiji

Aug., 1939. Feb. 1 Mar. I Emperor .

U9/11 bl7/bl7/6 Loloma . .

S25/6 s26/b23/6

Papua-New

Guinea

Bulolo G.D. bI24/b67/s75/- Mandated All b3/8 blOd blOd N.G.G. Ltd. bl/10 b2/2Vz b2/2 I /as Oil Search , s3/ll b21/9 b25/3 Oriomo Oil . b5/blO/6 bll/- Papuan Apin b4/ll b8/3 b8/3 Placer Dev. b68/6 b300/b260/— Sandy Creek .. 01/5 b3d b3d