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 the 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, handlihg and shipping the copra, makes deductions from the £7O Stg., such charges being different in each Territory. The following

are the prices now 7 being paid, per ton, to growers in different Territories:—

Papua And New Guinea

SOLOMON IS. AND G. AND E. COLONY: —No details—producers should receive about £A66/8/- 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) fpr which on July 2 was £Stg.s3B/10/- (£ A673/2 '6 approx.) c.i.f., ton. Cont. ports.

N.G.— £5BO-£590 approx, per ton, in store, Sydney.

Samoa.—Sydney agents in July quoted Samoa cocoa at £5495 (£A6IB/15/approx.), f.o.b. per ton, first grade.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G. Recent overseas market increases have brought Territories coffee to 6/6 -7/- per lb. All supplies assured of quick sale. MANGAIA (Cook Islands). —Robusta, green. unprocessed 1 - -2/- per lb. on plantation.

PEANUTS.—P.-N.G.:—Little change from last month. Stiff opposition from superior grade Australian nuts has made it in creasingly difficult to dispose of P.-N.G. nuts. Price; Kernels, 1/5: in shell, nominal, lOd - 1/-.

RUBBER.—Papua - New Guinea: Price based on Singapore figure -which fluctuates from day to day. Quotation on July 2 was 25y 2 d Aust. lb. Singapore rate July 2 No. 1 grade RSS (sellers) spot 67 7 /sc lb. c.i.f. (approx. 23V4d Aust. lb.».

VANILLA BEANS.—Sydney quotations by (Victor Karp, Tulk & Co.i: Tahiti.—Early season’s stocks now 7 available. White 72/-, Yellow 72/-. Green 68/-.

RICE.—New season’s (1954-1955) price is: P.-N.G.—Dry brown and dressed £B3 f.o.b. per ton. Other Pacific Islands, in cluding N.Z. dependencies, £9O.

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. ( £ A 550); E, 40c lb. (£ A 400); EE, 30c lb. (£A3OO) all c.i.f., New York. No change from last season. Manihiki.—£NZ2so (£ A312/10/per long ton, f.0.b., Rarotonga.

TROCHUS SHELL.—N.G.: £2BO nominal.

Market quiet. Fiji, £FI7O per ton f.0.b., Suva.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Market dull in Sydney at present. N.G., Ist grade £2lO per ton less rejects; Spotted £7O-£BO both ex-wharf, Sydney. N.H., No interest in Sydney. 8.5.1., No. 1 grade £175- £l9O, Spotted £BO ex-wharf.

London Prices

London, May 21.

Copra, c.i.f., Continental Ports, ton: — New Hebrides . . . 77,500 Metrop. francs (£AIOO approx.) FM Straits, June-July £Stg.7l (£ABB/15/- approx.) Philippines, June-July $187.50 i £ AB3/3/- apnro <. i Coconut Oil, c.i.f., Continental Ports, ton;— FM Straits, bulk, V - FFA . .. £Stg.lll i £ Al3B/15/- approx.) Ceylon, bulk, 3Yz% FFA .. .. £Stg.loS (£AI3S approx.) Cocoa, per 50 kilos, c.i.f., Nth. Con tinental Ports:— Accra. May-July £Stg.24/15/- (£ A6lB/15/- approx, per long ton)

Islands Mining Shares

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

Pms . . .

£ A74 5 0 £ A97 0 0 Smoke dried . £ A71 10 0 £ A96 0 0

Fiji

Pltn. . .. £F70 15 6 (60 pts. & over)

Fms . ..

£ F70 10 0 (45-57% pts.) W. SAMOA:—No details- -producers expect about £ NZ58 in 1954.

Fiji

Aug..1939 June 1 July 1 Emperor . . b9/ll bl7 3 bl7/9 Loloma . . .

S25/6 b27/b27/-

Papua-New

Guinea

Bulolo . . . bl24/s68/s60/- Mandated All. . b3/8 s2/bl/- N.G.G. Ltd. . bl/10 bl/8 bl/ll 1 -^ Oil Search , S3/11 b22/b32/- Oriomo Oil . b5/b9/2 S15/6 Papuan Apin. b4/ll b4/4 b7/2 Placer Dev. . b68 6 S282/6 b260/- Sandy Creek . bl/5 b4d s6d