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; SUS 2.23.)

Copra

Price negotiated between British Ministry of Food and British South Pacific Territories for 1956 was £ Stg.sB/10/- FOB main ports—a reduction of 10% on the 1955 price. Stabilisation funds and other charges reduce the actual prices to pro ducers to those given below, per ton:

Papua - New Guinea:—Hot Air

£ A62/10/-; FMS (Sun-dried) £A6I/15/-; Smoked £AS9.

FlJl;—Plantation £FS7/5/6 for top grade; FMS £FS7; moister grades £FSS/18/- to £FS4/2/- minimum.

W. Samoa:—£S3B/2/-, £837/14/-, And

£ 537/9/- approximately 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/Gizo: Hot Air £ A6l/10/-; Mixed HA/FM £AS7; FM £AS2/10/-; Yandina: 5/- higher.

HEW HEBRIDES:—Buying price May 9, 6,300 Pac. francs (£A44/2/-) delivered Vila/Santo.

FRENCH OCEANIA:—Apr. 1, top grade 8.36 Pac. francs per kilo (£A6O/12/- per long ton) in store, Papeete. Minimum price for lowest grade 5.35 Pac. francs (£A39 per long ton).

TONGA;—A Grade, £TS2/5/-; B Grade, £ T46/5/-.

COOK 15.:—1956 prices not yet avail able.

COCOA:—islands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which, on Mav 9, was £Stg.2o7/10/-, c.i.f.

P.-N.G.; £A235, ex wharf Sydney.

W. SAMOA: May 9, £Stg.2oo, f.o.b.

Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Top grades 5/5 lb. in store, Sydney; Fr. Oceania: 75 francs per kilo, unhusked.

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

RUBBER:—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore, which quoted May 8, buyers, No. 1 RSS, spot 87% Straits cents (3/2y 4 Aust. delivered).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, quoted May 9 buying price, c.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 46/-, Green, 44/6 per lb.

RICE (Australian):—Price adjusted May 1 each year. P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 lb. bags, 5 tons and over, £62 per ton, f.0.b.; under 5 tons £62/10/-

per ton. Vitamized and enriched whj 112 lb. bags, 5 tons and over, £6B/1 per ton f.0.b.; under 5 tons, £69 per I Other Pac. Islands: Dry, brown, etc., I per ton, f.o.b. Sydney or Melbourne. I PEARL SHELL.—Prices between Tot Strait producers and Otto Gerdau p (USA) not yet fixed for 1956. Manihi Lagoon closed. Penrhyn; £9OO c, Sydney. Tuamotus: approx £A1,300, li ton, for raw shell on beach, Hikueru.l TROCHUS:—May 9, in store Sydn subject to rejects: New Hebrides, ‘ £ per ton; N.G. and 8.5.1. fluctuating! tween £4BO and £520 per ton, accord to grade.

GREEN SNAIL:— sw Pacific, in st Sydney, £450, subject to rejects.

London And U.S. Prices J

Copra:—London, May 8, Straits, c. £Stg.7l/15/-; Philippines, $U.5.172, c Pac. Coast, del. weights.

Coconut Oil: —London, Apr. 21 • Cey] in bulk, 1% FFA, £Stg.lo2, c.i.f., per j Straits, bulk, 3V 2 % FFA, £Stg.99 c per ton.

Cocoa;—London, Apr. 21: Gold dj May del. c.i.f., £Stg.lB7 long ton.

Coffee:—London, Apr. 21: Uganda > busta f.a.q., prompt shipment, £Stg; f.o.b. Mombasa; Tanganyika, bond London.

Shell:—London, Apr. 21, Singai trochus, £Stg.sBs c.i.f. Greens] £Stg.s6s c.i.f.

Rubber:—London, May 8, Spot buyi 5tg.25 3 4d.; May c.i.f. Stg.2sy 4 d.; Oct -D Stg.2sd.