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; 168 Pac. Francs; SUS 2.23.)

Copra

Price negotiated between British Ministry of Food and British South Pacific Terri tories for 1957 was £ Stg.s4 FOB main ports—a drop of 7*/2 per cent, on the 1956 price. Stabilisation and other charges re duce actual producer price.

PAPUA - NEW GUINEA:—Hot A i r

£ A57/15/-; FMS (sun dried) £AS7; Smoked, £AS4/5/-.

FlJl;—Plantation grade £FS2/5/6; FMS £FS2.

W. SAMOA:—Sellers: 22/6-23/6 per 100 lbs. Exporters: £S4I and £847 f.o.b.

Apia, for two grades.

E. SAMOA: —Producers received cents lb. (SUSB9.6 or £A4O approx, per long ton).

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

SOLOMONS: Honiara/Qizo Yandina: Ist grade. £AS7/10/-; 2nd, £AS3/10/-; 3rd, £ A4B/10/-.

New Hebrides:—Oct. 11: 6.350 Pac.

francs (about £A37/2/6) delivered Vila/ Santo.

TONGA:—Ist grade £T4B; 2nd grade £ T 42. Price adjustment to be made at end of 1957.

COOK ISLANDS;—LocaI price is based on £Stg.s4 (£NZS4/4/1) per ton, f.0.b., with premium of 30/- (NZ) for top grade kiln dried. Shipping, handling, shrinkage and storage charges reduce the outer islands price to about £NZ3O per ton, basic rate.

COCOA:—lslands prices are based on the rate for Accra cocoa which on Oct. 11 was £Stg.27s per ton, c.i.f. London.

P.-N.G.:—Oct. 11: Good grade £A26O ex wharf, Sydney.

W. SAMOA:—Oct. 11: £Stg.27s f.o.b.

Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.; Oct. 11—Top grade 5/5 per lb.

PEANUTS:—P.-N.G., Oct. 11: Kernels 1/10; Virginia bunch, in shell, large, well cleaned, 1/4-1/5 per lb. del. Sydney; other 1/2-1/3 del. Sydney.

RUBBER: —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Oct. 10 was: No. 1 RSS, spot, 84 7 /s Straits cents (29V2d Aust. approx.) per lb.

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported on Oct. 11: New crop, c.i.f., Sydney, Tahiti White and Yellow label, processed standard packs 61/9, Green 59/9 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/- pe ton, f.0.w.; under 5 tons, £6B per tor Other Pac. Islands: Dry, brown, etc., £1 per ton, f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne.

PEARL SHELL.—Oct. 14, 1957, quotatia by independent pearlers: Sound, £AB6!

D, £ A 650; E, £A4SO; EE, £A2B (in store, Sydney). Cook Is.-Manihiki: Oc 11: Export price, £Stg.7oo f.o.b. Rare tonga.

Trochus:—Quote No. 1, Ng, £A32I

BSI, £ A 320; New Hebrides, agent repor “No business during past month”; Quo' No. 2, NG, £ A 320. Prices are lei rejects and based on Sydney weight GREEN SNAIL:—No supplies offerin, nominal price £A3OO.

London And U.S. Prices

Copra:—London, Oct. 10: Philippine in bulk. Oct./Nov. $168.50 (seller Straits/Borneo, fair, merchantable, d( weights c.i.f. UK-North European pon Oct./Nov. £Stg.62/15/- (buyer), £Stg.63/5 (seller). New York, Oct. 10: Philippim c.i.f., US Pacific Coast ports, $l6l (askeo London, Sept. 20: Indonesian (Celebes £Stg.s9/10/- to £Stg.62/10/- buyers, c.i. main ports.

Coconut Oil: —London, Oct. 10: Ceylc in bulk, fair, UK-Nth. European por Oct./Nov., £Stg.96/10/- (seller); Strail bulk, crude, Oct./Nov. £Stg.9l (nominal c.i.f., UK-Nth. European ports.

Cocoa:—London, Sept. 20: Accra, Spi £Stg.2Bs long ton, ex-store London; Oc; Dec. shipment, Nth. Continental por c.i.f., £Stg.27s short ton; Nov./Jan., De; Feb., Jan./Mar. shipments, £Stg.273/li short ton. Nigerian is quoted at 5/- bell above rates.

Rubber: —London, Sept. 20: RSS No.

Spot 24 7 /sd Stg. (buyer) Oct. shipim c.i.f. UK-Continent; B. 24 7 / 8 d; Jan./Mai landed B. 25 7 / s d Stg.