Islands Produce

(Unless etherwlse 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 shipping 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 £ 58NZ 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 May 4 was £ Stg.4Bs (£ A606/5/- approx.) c.i.f., ton, Cont. ports.

N.G.— £520-£530 approx, per ton, in store, Sydney.

Samoa.—Sydney agents in May quoted Samoa cocoa at £S4SO (£A562/6/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.: Increasing supplies of superior Australian nuts have caused the price of P.-N.G. nuts to ease. Price for f.a.q. in shell 1/-; kernels 1/6.

RUBBER. —Papua-New Guinea: Price based on Singapore figure which fluctuates from day to day. Quotation on May 4 was 24 3 / 4 d Aust. lb. Singapore rate May 4 No. 1 grade RSS (sellers) spot 64V 8 c. lb. c.i.f. (approx. 22y a d Aust. lb.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Sydney quotations (by Victor Karp, Tulk & Co.): Tahiti.— Early season’s stocks now available.

White 82/6, Yellow 82/6, Green 80/-; May shipment. Price expected to ease when larger supplies come to hand.

RICE.—New season’s (1954-1955) price, announced May 4, is; P.-N.G. —Dry brown and dressed £B3 f.o.b. per ton. Other

Pacific Islands, including N.Z. dependen cies, £9O.

PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed betweer Torres Strait producers and Otto Gerdai 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 from last season. Manihiki.— £NZ3OB (£A3B! approx.) c.i.f., Auckland. Karotonga.- £ NZ23O (£A2B7/10/-) f.0.b., Auckland.

Trochus Shell.—N.G.; £2Bo Per Tor

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

London Prices

LONDON, April 9.

Copra, c.i.f., Continental Ports, ton:-l New Hebrides . .. 81,000 Metrop. francl (£ AlO4/10/- approx, Tahiti 83,000 Metrop. francl (£ AlO7 approx.

FM Straits, May-June .. .. £Stg.7] (£AB9/15/- approx.

Philippines SIBJ (£ ABl/18/7 approx.

Coconut Oil, c.i.f., Continental Porta ton:— PM Straits, May-June .. .. £Stg.ll2 {£ Al4O approx.

Ceylon £Stg.lOJ (£ Al3l/5/- approx.

Cocoa, per 50 kilos, c.i.f., North Con tinental Ports:— Accra, April-June £Stg.24 (£ A6OO approx, per long ton.l

Islands Mining Shares

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 £ A86 0 0

Fiji

PItn £P70 15 6 (60 pts. & over) FMS .. .. £F70 10 0 (45-57Vi pts.)

Fiji

Aug., 1839, April 1 May 1 Emperor . 59/11 520/3 sl9/6 j Loloma . .

S25/6 526/- 527/3

Papua-New

Guinea

Bulolo G.D. . 5124/s75/- 570/- Mandated All. 53/8 56d 56d N.G.G. Ltd. . 51/10 51/11 % 1/11% Oil Search . .

S3/11 521/7y a 523/1%, Oriomo Oil . . 55/- 510/11 510/- Papuan Apin. 54/11 57/3 57/9 - Placer Dev. . 568/6 5270/- 5260/101 Sandy Creek . . 51/5 56d 56d