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

(1957 MOF price not yet finalised).

Price negotiated between British Ministry of Food and British South Pacific Territories for 1956 was £ Stg.sß/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 Guineahot 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 £336/14/4, which varies according to distance of producing district from Apia.

E. SAMOA:— Producers receive 5 cents lb. (SUSII2 or £ ASO approx, per long ton). Periodic bonus, if average proceeds exceed Govt, buying price and expenses.

SOLOMONS:— Honiara/Gizo: Hot Air

£ A6L/Ig/-; Mixed Ha/Fm £As7; Fm

£ A52/10/-; Yandina; 5/- higher.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Buying price on Jan. 14 fell from 6,750 Pac. francs (£A47/5/-) to 6,300 Pac. francs (£A44/2/-) delivered Vila/Santo. European price 20,000 Met. francs (£ABB/10/-) c.i.f. per short ton.

FRENCH OCEANIA;— Recent prices were: Top grade 10.50 Pac. francs per kilo (£A62/15/- per long ton) f.0.b., Papeete; minimum 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.sß/10/-) per ton f.0.b., in bulk. Outer islands copra producers receive approx. SVid NZ per lb. equal to £ NZ3O per ton.

COCOA:— lslands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which on Jan. 14 was £ Stg.lß3 per ton, c.i.f. London.

P.-N.G.: Good grade, £A245, ex wharf Sydney.

W. SAM.: Jan. 14, £Stg.23s, f.o.b. Apia.

COFFEE:— P.-N.G.: Top grade 7/2 lb. in store, Sydney; Fr. Oceania: 75 francs per kilo, unhusked.

PEANUTS;—P.-N.G.: Virginia bunch, in shell, large, well cleaned, 1/9 per lb. del.

Sydney; other 1/3-1/4 del. Sydney.

RUBBER:— P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Jan. 11, was: No. 1 RSS, spot, 100 Straits cents

(35.4 and Aust. approx.) per lb.

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Cos., Sydney, reported early in January: New crop, c.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 50/6, Green, 49/3 per lb. A French Oceania source recently quoted 825 Pac. francs per kilo (42/9 Aust. 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 majority of the Torres Strait pro< and Otto Gerdau Co. (USA) for 195 mained as for 1955, i.e.; Sound £A736; D, £A390; E, £A300; EE, £ all f.o.b., Australian ports; Dec. 14, quotation by independent pei Sound £ A875; D, £A625; E, £ EE, £A285. Cook Is.-Manihiki: Lago opening Jan. 1, 1957. Tuamotus; 185 Pac. francs per kilo (£Al,000-£ per long ton) f.o.b. Papeete.

TROCHUS: —One Sydney agent oi 14 quoted, in store: N. Heb., i N.G., £A545; and B.S.I., £A550 all another quoted: N.G., £A550; f.a.

Green Snail:—Quote No. 1

Pacific, in store, Sydney, £A485, ! to rejects. Quote No. 2; £A490.

London And U.S. Prices

Copra:—London, January 10: S Malaya, c.i.f. European continent weights, Jan./Feb., £Stg.69 n< Philippines, in bulk, Jan./Peb. (seller). New York, Jan. 10: Phili c.i.f., U.S. Pacific Coast ports (nominal).

Coconut Oil:—London, Januar Straits, crude, c.i.f., bulk, Ja £Stg.96 per ton sellers (new fi Ceylon, in bulk, c.i.f. United Kii North European ports, Jan./Feb. £ (nominal).

Cocoa: —London, Nov. 16: Gold good fermented, Nov./Jan., 205/- S 50 kilos (sellers), c.i.f. basis Nth tinental ports. Accra/Lagos (Mar.), buyers, £Stg.206 long ton.

Coffee: —London, Nov. 16: Ugand washed native Robusta) f.a.q., No\ ment £Stg.250; Dec. shipment, £1 Jan. shipment £Stg.240—all per to Mombasa. Santos 530/- Stg. per £ in bond London.

Rubber:—London, Jan. 11; Spot Stg.28%d lb. (nominal). Ap: 28%d.