Islands Produce

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are In Australian currency)

Copra

The official price paid by the British Ministry of Food for copra produced in British Territories in South Pacific (Papua, New Guinea, Solomons, Gilbert and Ellice, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands) for the year as from January 1, 1954, is approximately £7O Sterling per ton, f.0.b., chief Territories ports. Each Governmental authority, handling and sihpping the copra, makes deductions from the £7O Stg., such charges being different in each Territory. The following

are the prices now being paid, per ton, to growers in different Territories;—

Papua And New Guinea

W. SAMOA : —No details—producers ex pect about £SBNZ in 1954.

SOLOMON IS. AND G. AND E. COLONY: —No details—producers should receive about £ 66/8/OA delivered at main ports.

Currency Note: Compared with Sterling, Aust. £ is worth 15/-; Fiji £ is 17/6; NZ £ is 20/-.

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

Africa), quotation (from Colyer Watson Ltd., Sydney) for which on April 1 was £Stg.467/10/- (£ASB4 approx.) c.i.f., ton, Cont. ports.

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

Samoa.—Sydney agents in April quoted Samoa cocoa at £425 (£Stg.s3l/5/approx.), f.o.b. per ton, first grade.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G. Overseas market in creases have brought Territories coffee to 6/6-7/- 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).

PEANUTS.—P.-N.G.: Heavy consign ments had oversupplied market in early April. Price for f.a.q. in shell, 1/- to 1/3, 1/6 for specials; kernels, 1/6 - 1/9; 2/for a few specials.

RUBBER.—Market strengthened slightly over last month. Papua-New Guinea.— Price based on Singapore figure which fluctuates from day to day. Quotation on April 1 was 29y 2 d Aust. lb. Singapore rate March 12 No. 1 grade RSS (sellers) spot 57 3 4C. lb. c.i.f. (approx. 26V4d Aust. lb.).

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

Nominal price, 80/- c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE.—New season’s (1954-1955) price

is expected early May. Prices ruling s present are: P.-N.G.—Dry brown £9O pe ton, dressed £96 per ton. Other Pacifi Islands, except NZ dependencies, £96.

PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed betwee Torres Strait producers and Otto Gerda Co. (USA) for 1954: AA/A/B grade: 85c lb. (£ABSO approx, per long ton); C 80c lb. (£A800); D, 55c lb. (£ASSO); I 40c lb. (£ A 400); EE, 30c lb. (£A3OO)all c.i.f., New York. No change froi last season. Manihiki. —£NZ292 (£A36E c.i.f., Auckland. Rarotonga. — £NZ23 (£ A287/10/-) f.0.b., Auckland.

Trochus Shell.—N.G.: £2Bo Per To

ex-wharf less rejects. Market quiei Fiji, £F2OO per ton f.0.b., Suva GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Market stead in Sydney at present. N.G., £2lO pe ton less rejects. N.H., £205 per to free ex-wharf. 8.5.1., No. 1 grade £175 £l9O, Spotted £BO ex-wharf.

London Prices

LONDON, March 5.

Copra, c.i.f., Continental Ports, ton:- New Hebrides .. .. 97,500 Metrop. franc (£ A125/16/- approx.

Tahiti .. 98,500 M. frs. (£AI27 approx.

FM Straits .. .. £Stg.Bo (£lOO approx.

Philippines, bulk, March $2l (£ A9l/10/- approx.

Coconut Oil, c.i.f., Continental Ports ton:— FM Straits. 3V 2 % . .. £Stg.l36 (£AI7O Ceylon, Jan £Stg.l3s (£AI6B/15/- Cocoa, per 50 kilos, c.i.f., Nth. Con tinental Ports: — Accra, March £Stg.22/10/ (£ A 565 approx, per long ton.

Islands Mining Share!

At Main Crushers, Ex- Ports ship Sydney Hot Air £ A75 0 0 £ A97 0 0

Fms . .

£ A74 5 0 £ A97 0 0 Smokedried £ A71 10 0 £A96 0 0

Fiji

Pltn £P70 15 6 (60 pts. & over)

Fms . . ..

£F70 10 0 (45-57Va pts.)

Fiji

Aug.. 1939, Mar. 1 April 1 Emperor . b9/ll bl7/6 b20/3 Loloma . .

S25/6 b23/6 b26/-

Papua-New

Guinea

Bulolo G.D. bl24/s75/s75/- Mandated All b3/8 blOd b6d N.G.G. Ltd. bl/10 b2/2 Vz bl/llV 2 Oil Search .

S3/11 b25/3 b21/7Va Oriomo Oil . b5/bll/blO/11 Papuan Apin b4/ll b8/3 b7/3 Placer Dev. b68/6 b260/b270/- Sandy Creek .. bl/5 b3d b6d