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: 5U52.23.)

Copra

(Negotiations between MOF and British SP producers for 1956 price not finalised Jan. 10. Fiji and P-NG have announced tentative price based on £ Stg.sB/10/-FOB.) 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/-; FM (Sun) £69; Smoked £66/15/-.

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

W. Samoa:—£S42/6/-, £S4I/18/-, And

£B4l/12/- lor 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

£ A59/10/-; Yandina: 5/- higher.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Jan. 9. Merchants paying 6,450 Pac. francs (£A46/1/-) de livered Vila/Santo.

Continental buyers 69.75 Met. francs per kilo c.i.f.

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 to £Stg.3o depending on quality and freight rates from particular island to Rarotonga.

COCOA: —Islands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which, on Jan. 9, was £ Stg.24B/15/- f.o.b.

P.-N.G.: £A3OS, delivered Sydney.

W. SAMOA: Jan. 9, £Stg.2so, f.o.b.

Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Top grades 5/6 lb.

PEANUTS;—P.-N.G.; Market only for Virginia Bunch, in shell, large, well cleaned, 1/5 per lb. delivered Sydney.

Kernels up to 1/2 del. store, Sydney.

RUBBER;—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore, which quoted Jan. 6, No. 1 RSS. spot 125 cents (44.25 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, quoted Jan. 9 buying price, c.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 55/-, Green, 54/-.

RICE (Australian);—Price adjusted May 1

each year. P.-N.G.: Dry brown and drej £65 per ton, f.o.b. To other Territo: £7B per ton, f.o.b.

PEARL SHELL.—Prices fixed betw Torres Strait producers and Otto Gen Co. (USA) for 1955: Sound grades, £Aft D, £ A 390; E, £A3OO; EE. £A225,, f.o.b. Australian port. Manihiki: Lajj closing throughout 1956. Last shipn £ABOO c.i.f. Sydney. Divers transfen to Penrhyn. Tuamotn: £A725, long on beach, or £A1,015 f.o.b. Papeete..

TROCHUS: —Jan. 9. in store Sycb subject to rejects, SW Pacific £5OO-; per ton. Market considered “dangen and drop expected.

New Caledonia: Season closed Oct.: GREEN SNAIL:—SW Pacific, in s Sydney, to £420, subject to rejects..

London And U.S. Prices

Copra:—London, Jan. 9, Straits, « £Stg.6s/10/-; Philippines, SUSI 77, weights.

Cocoa:—London, Dec. 17: Gold O new season, Jan. del. c.i.f.. £Stg.2s2 ton; May del. £Stg.262. New York, 17: Dec. 30.10 cents; March del. Z cents per lb.

Coffee;—London, Dec. 17: Uganda n;r f.a.q., Jan.-Feb. £Stg.277/10/- f.o.b, V basa; Santos, £Sgt.46o, in bond, Londtl Shell:—London, Nov. 17, Sings trochus, Nov.-Dec. shipments £StJ c.i.f. Greensnail, £Stg.s6s c.i.f.

Rubber:—London, Jan. 6, Spot but Stg.3s%d; Jan. c.i.f., Stg.3s s /ad; Apl.-J Stg.34%d.