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; SUS2.2S.)

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 £P63; moister grades to £FS9/15/- minimum.

W. SAMOA:— £842/6/-, £B4l/18/-, and £ S4l/12/- ior 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; Pm

£AS9/10/-; Yandina; 5/- higher.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Aug. 31: Merchants paying 6,150 Pac. francs (£A43/1/-) de livered Vila/Santo.

FRENCH OCEANIA:—Latest quotation 7.00 Pac. francs per kilo (£A49/5/approx., 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:—lslands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which, on Oct. 4, was £ 5tg.255 f.o.b.

P.-N.G.: £A3IO, delivered Sydney.

W. SAMOA: Oct. 4: £Stg.26o, f.o.b.

Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.; Top grades 5/2 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 Oct. 4, No. 1 RSS, spot 135 3 4 cents (48d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co.. Sydney, quoted Oct. 5: Buying price, c.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 32/-, Green, 30/-.

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 Ges Co. (USA) for 1955: Sound grades, £A D. £ A 390; E. £A3OO; EE, £A225,< f.o.b. Australian port. Manihiki; £St|d long ton, f.o.b. Rarotonga; Tuanr £ A 725, long ton, on beach, or £AJ f.o.b. Papeete.

TROCHUS:—Oct. 5, in store Syo subject to rejects. P.-N.G. to £460..

New Caledonia: 52,000 Pac. francss metric ton (£A37O approx.) in !

Noumea.

Green Snail:—P.-N.G , In I

Sydney, to £4lO, subject to rejects.

London And U.S. Prices

Copra:—London. Oct. 4; Straits. « £Stg.66/15/-, Philippines SUSIBS, weights, Cont. Ports: N. Hebrides, aft, Sept. 16, 68,000 Metro, francs per longs (£ A 88).

Cocoa:—London. Sept. 16: Gold C«t Dec. delivery, c.i.f. U.K.. £Stg.260 A l per long ton; New York Futures: I 30.80; Mar. 1956, 31.40 cents lb.

Coffee:—London, Sept. 16: Uganda nsj robusta, unwashed, f.a.q., prompt deli. £Stg.269; Oct.-Nov. £Stg.26l/10/-.

Trochus:—London. Sept. 20: Singai. early delivery, £Stg.49s; Singapc Macassar, £Stg.46s c.i.f.

Greensnail: Singapore £Stg.36o c.i.i Rubber:—London, Oct. 3: Spot, biu SSVad Stg.; Jan.-Mar. 36%d; Oct. 38i c.i.f.