Producer-Countries Fight For
p. 17 · Read in the full issue
[?] pra Price for 1955 —
Better Than Mof Offer
The UK Ministry of Food has offered 10 per cent, less for )pra in 1955 than it paid in 1954—that is, £63.10 Stg. f.o.b. At inuary 10, however, negotiations were still going on between
ie interested parties.
3E price paid by the MOF under the Copra Agreement (which expires at the end of 1957) •cts virtually all British pro ers of copra in the South ific. teanwhile, both Fiji and British )mons have announced that the tative price that their Copra ,rds will pay planters, will be per cent, under the 1954 price.
Fiji, Plantation grade will be L/5/6 per ton at Suva and uka; FMS, £F6I; and lower les from £FS9/15/- to £FS7/15/-.
BSIP, Hot-air dried will be 2/10/-; middle grade £A6I/10/- Fair-merchantable, £A6O/10/-. hese tentative prices do not ,n that the Governments con led have withdrawn from Dtiations, however, he Territory of Papua and New nea has announced no change ie copra price, declared for uary assessment of copra export is for a top-grade price of £A7S ton —the same as in 1954. / offering £7 Stg. less than in , the MOF has taken full ad tage of the clause in the con t that allows a maximum 10 per ;. rise or fall in any one year. )r most of the years that the sement has been in operation price has been overwhelmingly favour of the MOF and it is )ably on this ground that the esentatives of the producer itries still hope to break down percentage fall for 1955.
Liring 1954, world market price around or just below the price MOP was paying under con t. At the beginning of Janu -1955, the free London price was it £74Stg. c.i.f.; taking freight, ranee, shrinkage, etc., into con ration, this would give planters advantage under the old 1954 ket price. The price in 1954 11 per cent, above that of 1953.
*Remium Copra In Bsip
ie BSIP Government has post ed for a few weeks the scheme reby the differential between grade and lowest grade copra be £lO. hen the new scheme comes info ation (probably about Febru lowest grade will be £4 below price paid for middle grade; and grade will be £6 above the price niddle grade.