Islands Produce

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are Sn 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 Pood 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 A 1 r £ A62/10/-; FMS (Sun-dried) £A6I/15/-; Smoked £AS9 FlJl:— Plantation £FS7/5/6 for top grade; FMS £FS7; moister grades £FSS/18/- to £ F54/2/- minimum.

W. SAMOA:—Sellers: 22/6-23/6 per 100 lbs. Exporters; £S4I and £S47 f.o.b.

Apia, for two grades.

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/-.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Buying price on Feb. 19 fell from 5,800 Pac. francs to 5,750 Pac. francs (£A4O/5/-) delivered Vila/ Santo. European price 67,000 Met. francs (about £AB4/5/-) c.i.f. per short ton.

NEW CALEDONIA; —Noumea, Feb. 20: The price has fallen to 7,250 Pac. francs (about £ A5O).

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 t £ A 39 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. 3Vid NZ per lb. equal to £ NZ3O per ton.

COCOA:—lslands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which on Mar. 7 was £Stg.l77/10/- per ton, c.i.f. London.

P.-N.G.;—Good grade quote No. 1 £230; quote No. 2 £220, both ex wharf Sydney.

W. SAM.: Feb. 27. £Stg.2ls. f.o.b. Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Top grade quote No. 1: 6Z6-6/9; quote No. 2; 6/9 per lb.

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

Sydney; other 1/5 del. Sydney.

RUBBER; —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Mar. 6, was: No. 1 RSS, spot, 89 Vz Straits cents (33d Aust. approx.) per lb.

VANILLA BEANS; Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported on February 11; New crop, c.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 56/-. Green, 54/- per lb.

RICE (Australian); —Price from May 1, 1957 P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed. 112 lb. bags, 5 tons and over, £6l per ton, f.0.b.; under 5 tons £6l/10/per ton. Vitamised and enriched white, 112 lb. bags, 5 tons and over, £67/10/per ton f.0.b.; under 5 tons, £6B per ton.

To be revised in May: 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 c and Otto Gerdau Co. (USA) fore mained as for 1955, 1.e.: Souit £A736; D, £A39O: E. £A3OO; E 3 all f.0.b., Australian ports; Ma:£ quotation by independent!

Sound £ AS00; D, £A67O; E 5 EE, £ A 260. Cook Is.-Manihikii f.o.b. Rarotonga. Tuamotus. 171 francs per kilo (£ Al,ooo-£Aft. long ton) f.o.b. Papeete.

TROCHUS: —One Sydney agenri 8 quoted, in store; N. Heb.c N.G.. £ A 520; and 8.5.1., £A525.. another quoted: N.G., £AS2O, fl GREEN SNAIL:—Quote No.j Pacific, in store, Sydney, £A4ffi : to rejects. Quote No. 2: £A4SO-i

London And U.S. Prio

Copra:—London. March 7: Malaya, c i.f. European contiii weights, March/April £ 5tg.677 Philippines, in bulk, March/A (seller). New York, March 7; P 1! c.i.f. U.S. Pacific Coast poo (nominal).

Coconut Oil:—London, March crude, c.i.f. bulk, Mar./Apr. £i* ton (seller). London, February It in bulk. c.i.f. United Kingt?

European ports, Feb.-Mar. £ Stg.93 (nominal).

Rubber. —London: Mar. 6: Spq Stg.26%d lb. (nominal). Apr./Jvl Mar. 26y 4 d.

Green Snail:—London, Feb. 9: £ 5tg.565; Penang, £ Stg.s6o, alii ton, c i.f.

Trochus:—London, Feb. 9: £Stg.sBs; Singapore, £Stg.6oo; i Macassa, £Stg.s7o; Mergui, £SB per long ton, c.i.f.