Islands Produce

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Aust. £ equals approximately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W.

Samoa; 18/- 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:

P Apua - New Guinea;—Hot Air

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

Pl Jl: —Plantation £P63/5/6; PM £P63moister grades to £PS9/15/- minimum. ’

W. Samoa:—£S42/6A, £S4I/18/-. And

£S4I/12/- for 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 / Glzo: Hot Air

£ A67/10/-; Mixed Ha/Pm £A6I/10/-; Pm

£AS7/10/-; Yandina: 5/- higher.

NEW HEBRIDES:—June 1: Merchants paying 6,250 Pac. francs (£A4S/6/-) de livered Vila/Santo.

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 June 6, was £ Stg.2Bs f.o.b.

P.-N.G.: £A34O, delivered Sydney.

W. SAMOA: June 1: £Stg.3lo, f.o.b.

Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Little business; top quality about 4/- lb. (Singapore quoted June 6, finest grade (EK-1) Robusta £ Stg.27l c.i.f. Sydney).

PEANUTS:—P.-N.G.: Market only 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 June, No. 1 RSS, spot 96/4 cents (34. Id Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, quoted June 7; Buying price, c.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 59/- lb.

RICE (Australian);—Price adjusted May 1 each year. P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed £65 per ton, f.o.b. To other Territories £7B per ton, f.o.b.

PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed U Torres Strait producers and Otto i Co. (USA) for 1955: Sound grades, 1 D, £ A 390; E, £A3OO; EE, £A2L f.o.b. Australian port. Manihiki: °f £ A4OO, c.i.f. Auckland. No actus ness quoted.

TROCHUS:—June 7 in store £ subject to rejects: P.-N.G. to £4l

Green Snail:—P.-Ng In

Sydney, to £340, subject to’rejects;

London And U.S. Prices'

Copra:—London, June 5: Straits* £Stg.67 ( £AB3/15/-). N. Hebrides,.

June 1, 68,000 Metro, francs per kr (£ AB7/15/-).

Cocoa:—London, May 21: Gold!

May-July delivery, c.i.f. U.K., £ per long ton; New York futures! 33.30 cents; Sept., 34.00 cents: Dec' cents lb.

Coffee:—London, May 21: Uganda!, robusta, unwashed, f.a.q., prompt db £Stg.2l9, May-June £Stg.2l6, Jur £Stg.2o2, July-August £Stg.l97 p© ton, f.o.b. Mombasa; New York, M futures: July 43.00 cents, September cents, December 37.60 cents lb.

Greensnail:—Last quotation, Dee Singapore £Stg.34o.

Rubber;—London, June 6: Spot I 28 7 / 8 d Stg.; Oct.-Dec. 27%d Stg.