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 £PSS/18/- to £FS4/2/- minimum.

W. SAMOA:—Basic price of £836/14/4, 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 £ A6l/10/-; Mixed HA/FM £AS7; FM £ A52/10/-; Yandina: 5/- higher.

HEW HEBRIDES:—Buying price on Oct. 29 fell from 6,000 Pac. francs (£A42) to 5,900 Pac. francs (£A4I/6/-) delivered Vila/Santo. European price 66,500 Met francs (£AB4/18/-) c.i.f. per short ton.

French Oceania:—Oct. 20. Top

grade 10.50 Pac. francs per kilo (£A62/15/per long ton) f.0.b., 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. 3%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 Nov. 8 was £Stg.2o7/10/-, c.i.f.

P.-N.G.: Good grade, £A24O, ex wharf Sydney.

W. SAM.: Oct. 28: £Stg.2oo, f.o.b. Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Top grades 6/6 lb. in store, Sydney; Fr. Oceania: 75 francs per kilo, unhusked.

PEANUTS:—P.-N.G.; In shell, large, well cleaned, 1/10 per lb. del. Sydney; kernels, 2/- lb. del. Sydney.

RUBBER:—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Nov. 7, was: No. RSS, spot, 98% Straits cents

(34.93 d Aust. approx.) per lb.

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported on Nov. 8 supplies from the new crop were available and quoted at: C.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 64/-, Green, 60/- per lb. A French Oceania source quoted 825 Pac. francs per kilo (£A2/2/9 per lb) f.o.b. Papeete.

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 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 the majority of the Torres Strait producers and Otto Gerdau Co. (USA) for 1956, re main as for 1955, i.e.: Sound grades, £A736; D, £A39O; E, £A3OO; EE, £A225;

all f.0.b., Australian ports; Oca quotation by independent!

Sound £ A 875; D, £A625; E EE, £ A 285. Cook Is.: No trail Manihiki; Lagoon closed. Tuam® 185 Pac. francs per kilo (£ Al, 000' per long ton) f.o.b. Papeete.

TROCHUS:—One Sydney agent 8, quoted, in store, N. Heb., £■ N.G., £AS3O-540; and 8.5.1., £ l f.a.q.; another quoted N.G£ London: Sept. 20: Singapore T Sandakan £Stg.s7s per long ti Singapore, £Stg.6oo; Singapore/! £Sgt.sss; Mergui, £Stg.s2o.

Green Snail:—Quote No.«

Pacific, in store, Sydney, £ASOO to rejects: lower grades £A4] Quote No. 2; £465-£4BO. Londi 20; Singapore £Stg.s9s c.i.f.

London And U.S. Pric

Copra:—London, November 6:: Malaya c.i.f. European contim weights, Nov.-Dee. £Stg.66/15/-T New York, Nov. 5: Philippines,!

Pacific Coast ports, SUSISS (non Coconut Oil:—London, Nov 7 ,: crude, c.i.f., bulk, Nov.-Dec. £S ton (seller), on old freight basisl Nov. 6; Ceylon, in bulk, c.i Northern European ports, £Stg.97 (seller). New York, Straits, crude, c.i.f., bulk, 1 £Stg.9o per ton (seller).

Cocoa:—London, Oct. 20: Acc Dec. shipment in bond (buyers)l long ton.

Coffee:—London, October 2oj: (unwashed native robusta) f a shipment £Stg.2s6; Nov. £Stg'J. shipment; Nov. £Stg.2ss; Dec. 1 all per ton f.o.b. Mombasal £Stg.s2B, c.i.f., London.

Rubber:—London, Nov. 7: Soor Stg.29V4d.