Islands Produce
p. 178 · Read in the full issue
(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:—Basic price of £S36/14/4, which varies according to distance of producing district from Apia.
E. SAMOA:—Producers receive 5 cents lb. (SUSII2 or £ A5O approx, per long ton). Periodic bonus, if average proceeds exceed Govt, buying price and expenses.
SOLOMONS: —Honiara/Gizo: Hot Air
£A6I/10/-; Mixed Ha/Fm £As7; Fm
£AS2/10/-; Yandina: 5/- higher.
NEW HEBRIDES:—Buying price on June 1 fell from 6,400 Pac. francs (,£A44/16/-) to 6,000 Pac. francs (£A42) delivered Vila/ Santo; still at that rate early September.
FRENCH OCEANIA:—ApriI: 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 IS.: —Local price is based on £NZSB/14/4 (£Stg.sB/10/-) per ton f.0.b., in bulk. Outer islands copra producers receive approx. 3V 4 d N.Z. per lb. equal to £ N.Z.30 per ton.
COCOA:—lslands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which on Sept. 8 was £Stg.226/5/-, c.i.f.
P.-N.G.; Good grade, £A235, ex wharf Sydney.
W. SAM.: Sept. 8, £Stg.23o, f.o.b. Apia.
COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Top grades 6/- lb. in store, Sydney; Fr. Oceania: 75 francs per kilo, unhusked.
PEANUTS:—P.-N.G.: In shell, large, well cleaned, 1/7 per lb. del. Sydney; kernels, 1/8 - 1/9 lb. del. Sydney.
RUBBER: —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Sept. 7, was: No. RSS, spot, 92 Vs Straits cents (32.61 d Aust. approx.) per lb.
VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, reports that early supplies from the new crop are nominally quoted at; C.i.f. Sydney. Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 60/, Green. 58/- per lb.
RICE (Australian): —Price adjusted May 1 each year P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 lb. bags, 5 tons ah<i over, £62 per ton, f.0.b.; under 5 tons £62/10/per ton. Vitamized and enriched white, 112 lb. bags, 5 tons and over. £6B/10/per ton f.0.b.: under 5 tons, £69 per ton.
Other Pac. Islands: Dry, brown, etc., £7O per ton, f.o.b. Sydney or Melbourne.
PEARL SHELL.—Prices between majority of the Torres Strait pic and Otto Gerdau Co. (USA) for it main as for 1955, i.e.: Sound? £A736; D, £A39O; E, £A3OO; EE, : , all f.0.b., Australian ports; n quotation by independent pearlersli
£ Ab6O-920; D, £A6Oo-650; E, £A
EE, £A275-300. Manihiki; Lagoon Tuamotus: Approx. £A1,300, long raw shell on beach, Hikueru.
TROCHUS:—One Sydney agent* 10 quoted: New Hebrides £4BO-£5O! £520; and 8.5.1., £520; “accon grade”; another quoted £470 to
Green Snail:—Quote No. I
Pacific, in store Sydney. £4753, to rejects; lower grades £4OC> Quote No. 2: £465-£4BO.
London And U.S. Price!;
Copra:—London. Aug. 8, Strait) buyers, £Stg.63/10/-; Philippines I c.i.f. Pac. Coast, del. weights.
Coconut Oil:—London, Aug. 8: in bulk, 1% FFA, £Stg.94/10/-, jc ton; Straits, bulk. 3V 2 % £Stg.B9/10/-, c.i.f., per ton.
Cocoa:—London, Aug. 17: Acer in bond (buyers): £ 5tg.222 ton.
Coffee: —London, Aug. 17: Tam Grade A, £Stg.sBo per ton. B. i peaberry, £Stg.sso, A.F., £Stg.s3{i nesian robustas (washed and i August/September shipment. A.P.I £ 5tg.274.
Rubber;—London, Sept. 7; Spot) Stg.2BV 4 d.