And Produce

otherwise stated, quotations are tralian currency. Aust. £ equals imately 16/- Stg.. NZ, or • 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons & ;C areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; $U52.25.)

Copra

British Ministry of Food 9-years ;;t which governed Copra prices ,ua and New Guinea, Fiji, Western Solomon Islands, and Gilbert and iColony (and. to some extent, in and Cook Islands) expired on De -31 1957; since when each Terrl as made Its own arrangements for on and marketing of copra.

JA - NEW GUINEA;—AII production vered to Copra Marketing Board, led by six members, including three •s’ representatives: and the Board distribution and sales, and makes ats to the producers. Production lainly to (a) Unilever (under con covering 1960), (b) Australia dor jonsumptlon) and (c) crushing-mill haul. Prices generally arranged in ance with ruling rate in Philippines with premiums for hot-air dried, i July 1. 1959. P-NG Copra s Tentative Purchase Prices, for delivered main ports: Hot-Air Dried, 10/- per ton; FMS, £A7I per ton; -Dried, £A7O per ton. :—No Government control —producers here they wish. Bulk of copra goes iishlng-mill in Suva, whose price arf, Suva, is announced each week, ir. 7 prices were: HAD, £F74/17/6;

£F73/12/6; Fm2, £F72/5/-.

STERN SAMOA: —Official Copra receives all production, and sells and makes payments to producers. proportion goes to Unilever, at pines FM grade rates, plus pre i up to £S3 per ton for hot ■ied Prices unaltered since March, Hot-air dried, £867/13/8 per ton; ■led No. 1. £S6S/3/8; sun-dried £B6l/13/8. (GA:—Sales are under Government 1. Part of production goes to Europe, arrangement with Unilever con by Philippines prices, and part open market. ,OMONS;—AII production marketed 5h official Copra Board, at prices on Philippines market. Price de fer March: Ist grade, £AB6; 2nd £AB4/10/-; 3rd grade, £AB2 per ton, BSIP ports.

BERT AND ELLlCE:—Production sted in Europe through official Copra 1, at prices based on Philippines less “stabilisation fund” charges. lAMOA:—Producers receive 7 cents lb. 56.8 or £ A7O/4/6 approx, per long Periodic bonus, if average proceeds i Govt, buying price and expenses.

V HEBRIDES;—Price was approxi y £ A62/10/- per ton delivered Vila/ on Feb. 25. French price on Feb. 26 23,000 Metrop. francs per metric ton, Marseilles. }K IS. AND NIUE IS.: Subject to (revisions of the copra contract be , the Cook Islands and Niue Island ers and Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, operate the only New Zealand copra ing mill, the price paid is the average m price for the previous month, less ing charges. The actual price paid oducers varies widely from island to 1, currently ranging from £NZ3O to 50 per ton.

TnKFLAUS■ Price is based on the prlor /NTurn DDAIMirc

Other Produce

COCOA:—lslands prices are based on the rate for Ghana cocoa which on Mar. 4, was £Stg.2lB/15/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

W SAMOA;—Nominal price quoted in Svdney early Mar. £S2IO f.0.b., Apia, grade 1; £S2OS, grade 2.

P_N G • Mar. 4, quote No. 1 £265 exwharf Sydney; quote No. 2 £270 (top quality).

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: Mar. 4, good quality A grade per lb, 4/2; B grade, 4/1; C grade, 4/- c.i.f., Sydney.

In early Mar. price quoted for Tanganyika A grade was £Stg.37s; B grade, £Stg.3ss; Undergradings, £Stg 270 all per SS a oSerfn 1 g f a. Sy app™ X D £S? c U l t f a Sydney.

PEANUTS: P.-N.G.. Mar. 4, Kernels: White and Red Spanish I/6V2 lb del. buyer’s store; Virginia Bunch, 1/7% (no recent sales). In Shell, 1/1 lb.

RUBBER:—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Mar. 4 was: No 1 RSS, spot, 118% Straits cents per lb '(4l 41d Aust.).

Cq VA Sydney ß advised V Mar yellow label, processed, standard packs, 64/-; green label, 62/-, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Australian):-Prlce from May 1. 1959—P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 lb bags, 5 tons and over, £6l/10/per ton, f.0.w.; under 5 tons £62 per ton. Vitamised and enriched white, 112 lb bags, 5 tons and over, £6B per ton,

f.0.w.; under 5 tons. £6B/10/- per ton.

PEARL SHELL.—Firm quotations for Aus tralian White M OP. Shell in March by Svdney independent shell agents were: Sound £ AB5O, D £A6OO. E £A3OO, EE £ A2OO (in store Sydney). Penrhyn £NZ4OO (nominal). f.0.b.. Rarotonga, anihlki . Lag oon still closed but situation w m be reviewed by Cl Administration in m id-1960. N.G.: Last sales of Black-Up M.O P. were made in Sydney recently at £3OO per ton.

TROCHUS.—NominaI price c.i.f. Sydney, Mar. 4, £250.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL. —Continuing Japanese demand has increased price to £A42O/£A425 per ton. P.-N.G. and 8.5.1.: j n short supply still, CROCODILE SKINS: 12 in. and over, small . sca i e , first quality, 11/6 per in.

PAPUAN GUM: £BO per ton del. buyer-. store, Sydney.

I Anrlnn anH IK Quotations London and U* UUOiailOflb Copra: London. Mar. 3, Philippines, in bulk, $248.50 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports. Straits/Borneo, FMS, de livered weights, c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, £Stg.9o per long ton. New YorK, Mar. 3, Philippines, $237.50 US per short —* 2 25 US Dollars.) Coconut Oil: London Mar. 3, Ceylon, in

NorUi ”crude(

n f £Stg.l3l, ...

Rubber: London, c.i.f.. Mar. 3. RSS No. 1, Spot 34%d Stg. per lb, Mar. 33/4d Stg., July/Sept. 32%d Stg.