Cocoa Beans

High Prices for All Cocoa Beans Expected to Continue Ceylon in Australian Market Now

PRICE of New Guinea cocoa beans in Sydney in March rose to between £5OO and £5lO per on, a little below the price obtained or Samoan beans and about £7O )elow the price for Accra.

Some importers were saying :autiously, early April, that partial ailure of the West African cocoa ;rop would influence the market or the rest of this year and that ligh prices would probably rule for hat period.

There were also encouraging re torts of improving quality in the JG beans although, however, the iresent price cannot be taken as a rue indication of quality. It was btained because of the continued mrld shortage and the eagerness of lustralian chocolate manufacturers o stock up with all the beans they ould get in preparation for their usy winter season.

Considerable quantities of Ceylon cans have recently been reaching tie Australian market to help meet tiis strong demand.

Two NG planters were in Sydney uring March and were taken to ne of the large chocolate factories ) see some of their own beans be ig blended with others from Samoa, fest Africa and Ceylon.

The manufacturer’s report on iiality was; Samoan, excellent but irong; African, good all round; eylon, good all round but slightly irthy; NG, improved and good, but rong and slightly earthy.

The planters were told that lanufacturers were satisfied with ie NG beans for use in a blend ith Accra. It would be some time, ; the present rate of improvement, ffore the NG beans could be used one.

The bulk of W. Samoa’s new crop as expected to start coimng in i April. Very wet weather in arch was causing some anxiety nongst cocoa planters.