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.) D .

Corka

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 producers to those given below, per ton:

Papua - New Guinea:—Hot Air

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

FlJl:—Plantation £F63/5/6; FM £F63; moister grades to £FS9/15/- minimum.

W. SAMOA:—£S42/6/-, £B4l/18/-, and £ S4l/12/- tor 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

£ A6B/10/-; Mixed Ha/Fm £A64; Fm

£AS9/10/-; Yandina: 5/- higher.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Aug. 31; Merchants paying 6,350 Pac. francs (£A44/9/-) de livered Vila/Santo.

FRENCH OCEANIA:—Latest quotation 7.00 Pac. francs per kilo (£A4S/6/aprox., per long ton) delivered in bulk, Papeete, for top grade.

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: —Islands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which, on Sept. 5, was £ Stg.27o f.o.b.

P.-N.G.: £A3OO, delivered Sydney.

W. SAMOA: Sept. 5; £Stg. 270, f.o.b.

Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Top grades 5/- lb.

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 Sept. 2, No. 1 RSS, spot 150 cents (SSy-jd Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, quoted Aug. 6: Buying price, c.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 36/-, Green, 34/-.

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 between Torres Strait producers and Otto Gerdau

Co. (USA) for 1955: Sound grades, £A'.

D, £ A 390; E, £A3OO; EE. £A225, f.o.b. Australian port. Manihiki: £Stg; long ton, f.o.b. Rarotonga; Tuamu £ A 725, long ton, on beach, or £AII f.o.b. Papeete.

TROCHUS: —Sept. 5, in store Syd:J subject to rejects. P.-N.G. to £435.

New Caledonia: 52,000 Pac. francs metric ton (£A37O approx.) in s; Noumea.

Green Snail:— P.-N.G., In S-

Sydney, to £375, subject to rejects.

London And U.S. Prices

Copra:—London, Sept. 5: Straits, c: £ Stg.64/5/-, Philippines SUSI 74, weights, Cont. Ports: N. Hebrides, aff Aug. 20, 68.000 Metro, francs per long (£A88). New York, Sept. 1: Philippe $147 c.i.f. Pac. ports.

Cocoa:—London, Aug. 20; Gold Co September delivery, c.i.f. U.K., £Stg per long ton; New York: Bahia, f.o.b. cents lb. Futures: Sept. 29.70; II 30.20; Mar. 1956, 30.78 cents lb.

Coffee: —London, Aug. 20: Uganda ns robusta, unwashed, f.a.q., prompt delii £Stg.24o; Aug.-Sept. £Stg.236 f.o.b. M basa; New York: Columbian, spot cents lb.; Santos “Fours”, spot, SSVa c lb.

Trochus: —London, Aug. 20; Singap early delivery, £Stg.49s; Singapn Macassar, £Stg.46s c.i.f.

Greensnail: Singapore £Stg.36o c.i.

Rubber: —London, Sept. 2: Spot, bu 43d Stg.; Oct.-Dec. 43V 8 d Stg.