Radio-Active!
p. 154 · Read in the full issue
Now The Copra Is
MICRONESIAN free-market copra has suffered a considerable fluctuation in prices over the past few months, because the Japs fear it might be radio-active.
A heavy fall in price in Japan, where most of Micronesia’s copra is marketed, followed the hydro gen-bomb explosion on March 1.
Buying was halted pending assur ances that all copra would be certi fied non-radio active by competent authorities at Guam before ship ment. All copra has consequently been tested since then —though none has been found radio-active.
The GIF price US Pacific Coast in mid-April was $187.50 per ton.
By the end of the month, immedi ately preceding the hydrogen-bomb blast, the price was down to $175 due to heavy supplies of copra entering the market from the Philippines. Following a complete hold-up of exports for some time, there was a further falling tend ency as a' result of increasing sup plies of Indonesian copra reaching the Japanese market which Is the most accessible to Micronesia from the shipping point of view.