Islands Produce

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Aust. £ equals approximately 34/- Stg., NZ, or W.

Samoa; 22/6 Fiji; 20/- Tonga; 140 Pac.

Francs; 5U52.24.)

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, 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

At Main Crushers, Ex- Ports ship Sydney Hot Air £ A 75 0 0 £A97 0 0 FMS .. .. £ A 74 5 0 £A97 0 0 Smoke dried .. £A7I 10 0 £A96 0 0

Fiji

Pltn. . .. £F7O 15 6 (60 pts. & over) FMS . .. £F7O 10 0 (45-57y 2 pts.) W. SAMOA: —After deductions producers receive approx. £AS7/12/-, £AS7/5/-, and £ A56/15/- per ton under the three grad ings in use.

E. SAMOA: —Government pays $ll2 (£ A5O) per long ton, plus bonus at end of year if average proceeds higher.

SOLOMONS:—See page 26 this issue.

NEW HEBRIDES:—On October 12 £ASB/2/- per ton f.o.b. Vila. (Producers receive 84 Pac. francs per kilo.) COCOA.—lslands prices are usually based on rate for Accra cocoa (W.

Africa), quotation (from Colyer Watson.

Ltd., Sydney) for which on November 4 was £Stg.4o7/10/- ( £ A 509 approx.) c.i.f.. ton, Cont. ports.

N.G.— £A42O approx, per ton, in store, Sydney.

Samoa.—Sydney agents on November 6 quoted Samoa cocoa at £S3SO (£A42O approx.), f.o.b. per ton, first grade.

COFFEE. —P.-N.G. Market unsteady, no Sydney quotation.

PEANUTS.—P.-N.G.:—Ready sale Sydney for Virginia Bunch, in shell, large, well cleaned, at 1/6 per lb.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore price, which on Nov. 3 was 79.506 cents lb. RSS (l/3d Aust. approx.).

No spot available. June shipment 23.37 d Stg. quoted to London.

VANILLA BEANS.—Sydney quotation by Victor Karp, Tulk & Co.: Tahiti. —Supplies very short. Quotation nominal, 85/6, c.i.f.

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: Sound grades, £A735; D, £ A 390; E. £A3OO; EE, £A225, all f.o.b. Australian port. Manihiki: £A39O, c.i.f., Auckland, rising tendency.

TROCHUS SHELL. —Rising tendency.

First Grade NG and N. Hebrides quoted early Nov. £A34O per ton, ex wharf Sydney, less rejects.

Green Snail Shell.—N.G., Ist Grade

£ A 240 per ton less rejects, ex-wharf, Sydney. N.H.. £230, ditto. 8.5.1., No 1 grade £AIBO-£A2OO.

London And Us Prices

Copra: Straits, c.i.f. Cont. Ports, per ton, Oct. 25 spot, £Stg.74; Nov.-Dec. shipment, £Stg.72/10/-; New Hebrides, Nov. 4, afloat, 83,000 metrop. francs (£ AlO6/10/- approx.) Philippines, US quote Oct. 25 $2Ol, Nov. 4 $172.50, per short ton (£ AlOl and £AB6/5/- approx, per long ton).

Coconut Oil, c.i.f. Cont. Ports, in drums, per long ton. Straits, Nov. 4, £ A136/17/-.

Cocoa, Oct. 18, W. African, Nov.-Dec. shipment, £Stg.36o, c.i.f.; US quote: Bahia, Oct.-Nov. shipment, 39y 2 cents.

Accra, Dec. shipment, 42 cents.

Coffee, US quote, Oct. 15, Santos-No. 4 spot 68 cents, Dec. shipment 61.5 cents; Colombia, spot 71 cents.

Trochus, Singapore, Oct. 18, for ship ment £ Stg. 465, Maccassar £Stg. 380, Mergui £ 5tg.325, Padang £ Stg.3oo, all c.i.f.

Greensnail, Singapore Oct. 18, for ship ment, £ Stg.34o.