Islands Produce

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Aust. £ equals approximately 24/- Stg., NZ, or W.

Samoa; 22/6 Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons & WPHC areas; 140 Pac. Francs; $U52.23.)

Copra

Price negotiated between British Ministry of Food and British South Pacific Territories for 1955 is £ Stg.6s, FOB main ports—a reduction of 7.14% on the 1954 price. Stabilisation funds and other charges reduce the actual prices to pro ducers to those given below, per ton;

Papua - New Guinea:—Hot Air

£69/15/-; PM (Sun) £69; Smoked £66/15/-.

FlJl:—Plantation £F63/5/6; FM £F63; moister grades to £PS9/15/- minimum.

W. SAMOA:— £842/6/-, £B4l/18/-, and £S4I/12/- icr the three gradings in use.

E. SAMOA; —Adjusted with free-market fluctuations. Currently $89.60 (£A4O approx.) per long ton. Periodic bonus if average proceeds exceed Government buy ing price.

SOLOMONS: —Honiara / Gizo; Hot Air

£ A67/10/-; Mixed Ha/Fm £A6I/10/-; Fm

£ A57/10/-; Yandina: 5/- higher.

NEW HEBRIDES:—ApriI 1: Merchants paying 7,000 Pac. francs (£ASO).

FRENCH OCEANIA:—Latest quotation 6.25 Pac. francs per kilo (£A4S/6/aprox., per long ton) delivered in bulk, Papeete.

TONGA:— £AS9 and £AS3 per ton for the two gradings in use.

COOK IS.:—Growers receive £Stg.37/3/to £ Stg.3o/6/- depending on quality and freight rates from particular island to Rarotonga.

COCOA;—lslands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which, on April 1, was £ 5tg.295 in bond, London.

P.-N.G.; £A32O-£330, delivered Sydney.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Little business. £450 per ton, delivered Sydney, for a recent poor lot.

PEANUTS;—P.-N.G.: Ready sale for Virginia Bunch, in shell, large, well cleaned, 1/4 per lb. delivered Sydney.

RUBBER:—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore, which quoted April 4, No. 1 RS3. spot 83Vs cents (29,4 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co.. Sydney, quoted April 4: Tahiti—White and Yellow label 64/- lb., Green label 63/-, c.i.f.

RlCE; —Price adjusted May 1 each year.

P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed £B3 per ton, f.o.b. Other Pacific Islands £9O.

PEARL SHELL.—Prlces fixed between Torres Strait producers and Otto Gerdau Co. (USA) for 1955: Sound grades. £A735; D, £ A 390; E, £ A 300; EE. £A225, all f.o.b. Australian port. Manihiki: Offers

of £A4OO, c.i.f. Auckland. No actua ness quoted.

TROCHUS:—ApriI 4, in store ! subject to rejects: P.-N.G. to £■ Hebs. to £420.

Green Snail:—P.-N.G., In

Sydney, £3OO approx., subject to

London And U.S. Prices

Copra:—London, April 1: Straits £ Stg.67 I £ AB3/15/- i. N. Hebrides: (Mar. 19), 71,000 Metro, francs pi ton ( £ A92/5/-). Philippines, afloa' 19), $lB2 ( £ ABl/15/-).

Cocoa: —London, Mar. 19: Gold March-May delivery, c.i.f. U.K., £.

April-June £312/10/-; New York, IV Sanchez 35.1 cents per lb. (£AI long ton).

Coffee: —London, Mar. 19: Uganda robusta, unwashed, f.a.q., prompt ( £Stg.24B, April-May £Stg.243, Ju £ Stg.24o; Prime Santos £Stg.4Bo, ii London: Kenya “A” £Stg. 509/10/ £ Stg.44l/-0/-, “C” £ 5tg.432/10/- Mombasa: New York, Mar. 19: “Fours”, spot, 58.3 cents per lb. (, Trochus:—London, Feb. 10: Sir early delivery, £ Stg.sls; Sim Macassar, £ 5tg.435; Mergui, Maro delivery, £ 5tg.375, all c.i.f. (Marl since continued to rise).

Greensnail: —Last quotation, Di Singapore £ Stg.34o. Since increas Rubber:—London, April 1: Spot, 25%d Stg.