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 2.20.)

Copra

(1957 MOF price not yet finalised. Most territories have tentatively dropped their prices by 10 per cent.) Price negotiated between British Ministry of Food and British South Pacific Territories for 1956 was £ Stg.sB/10/- FOB main ports. Stabilisation funds and other charges reduce actual producer price.

Papua-New Guinea: Approx:

£56/5/-; £55/11/6; £53/2/0 tentatively FIJI: Tentatively: Plant. gde.

£Fso/5/6; Fms £Fso.

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 4 cents lb. (SUSB9.6 or £A4O approx, per long ton).

Periodic bonus, if average proceeds exceed Govt, buying price and expenses.

SOLOMONS: Honiara/Gizo Yandina: Ist grade, £56; 2nd £52; 3rd £45, NEW HEBRIDES:—Buying price on May 11 fell from 6,000 Pac. francs (£A42) delivered Vila/Santo to 5,750 Pac. francs (£ A4O/5/-). European price, May 11, 66,500 Met. francs (£AB3/13/- approx.) c.i.f. per short ton.

NEW CALEDONIA:—Noumea. Feb. 20; 7,250 Pac. francs (£ASO).

FRENCH OCEANIA:—Recent prices were: Top grade 10.50 Pac. francs per kilo (£A62/15/- per long ton) f.0.b., Papeete: lowest grade 5.35 Pac. francs (£A39).

TONGA —A Grade. £TS2/5/-; B Grade. £T46/s'- 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. SVid NZ per lb. equal to £ NZ3O per ton.

COCOA:—lslands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which on June 8 was £ 5tg.245 per ton, c.i.f. London.

P.-N.G.:—Good grade £A245 ex wharf.

Sydney.

W. SAMOA:—June 7: £Stg,2oo. f.o.b.

COFFEE;—P.-N.G. June 7: Top grade 6/7 per lb.

PEANUTS:—P.-N.G.. June 8: Kernels l/eVi-l/S; Virginia bunch, in shell, large, well cleaned, 1/4-1/5 per lb. del.

Sydney; other 1/2 del. Sydney.

RUBBER: —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on June 7 was: No. 1 RSS, spot, 91% Straits cents (32- 2/3d Aust. approx.) per lb.

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported on June 10: New crop, c.i.f. Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed, standard packs, 59/-, Green 57/- 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.w.; under 5 tons £6l/10/- per ton. Vitamised and enriched white, 112 lb bags, 5 tons and over, £67/10/- per ton, f.0.w.; under 5 tons, £6B per ton.

Other Pac. Islands: Dry, brown, etc., £7O per ton, f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne.

PEARL SHELL. —Prices between the majority of the Torres Strait producers

and Otto Gerdau Co. (USA) for 19( mained as for 1955 (1957 prices nr fixed), i.e.; Sound grades £A72

£A39O; E, £A3Oo; Ee, £A225; Al'j

Australian ports; June 10, 1957, quo by independent pearlers: Sound, .

D, £ A 650; E, £A4SO; EE, £A255..

Is.-Manihiki: June 10, loose shell on; £ Stg.44B per long ton. Export £Stg.Boo-900 f.o.b. Rarotonga; a agent on June 10 quoted £AI.OOO Rarotonga. Tuamotus: 175-185 Pac. per kilo (£ Al.OOO-£ A-1.060 per lon f.o.b. Papeete.

TROCHUS: Two Sydney agents ot 10 could not quote prices for N, N.G., or 8.5.1., because they had i ceived orders.

GREEN SNAIL:—Quote No. 1 Jv SW Pacific, in store, Sydney, subject to rejects. Quote No. 2: ex wharf Sydney.

London And Us. Prices

Copra:—London. June 6: Philippi bulk, SUSI6B (seller); Straits/Borne merchantable, del. weights, Kingdom-North European ports, Jui £Stg.62/15/- (buyer), £Stg.63/15/- !

New York, June 6: Philippines, c: Pacific Coast ports, $U5152.50 (nc Coconut Oil: —London, June 6: in bulk, c.i.f. United Kingdom-Nortl pean ports, June-July, £Stg.9B Straits, crude. c.i.f., bulk, Ju £Stg.9o (reseller).

Cocoa:—London, June 3; Accra Aug. shipment, £Stg.23s c.i.f. Lf.

Oct./Dec. (new crop), £238/15/-, Rubber:—London, June 7: Spot Stg.27y 8 d lb, c.i.f. Sept. 27%d, Jun 27d.