[?]Slands Produce

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are i Australian currency. Aust. £ equals pprozlmately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W. amoa; 18/- FIJI; 20/- Tonga, Solomons & rPHC areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; SUS2.25.)

Copra

The British Ministry of Food 9-yeara ontract, which governed Copra prices Papua and New Guinea, Fiji, Western amoa, Solomon Islands, and Gilbert and Ulce Colony (and, to some extent, In onga and Cook Islands) expired on De jmber 31, 1957; since when each Terrl ry has made its own arrangements for Election and marketing of copra.

PAPUA - NEW GUINEA:—All production delivered to Copra Marketing Board ntrolled by six members, including three anters’ representatives; and the Board rects distribution and sales, and makes lyments to the producers. Production ies mainly to (a) Unilever (30,000 tons ider contract covering 1961), (b) Aus alia (30,000 tons for local consumption), ) crushlng-mlll in Rabaul (40,000 tons), id (d) Japan (300 tons per month or are If available). Prices generally ar nged in accordance with ruling rate In lilippines market, with premiums for t-air dried.

Prom January 1, 1961, P-NG Copra lard’s Tentative Purchase Prices, for pra delivered main ports: Hot-Air Dried A54/10/- per ton; FMS, £A53 per ton; loke-Dried, £A52 per ton.

FIJI:—No Government control—producers 1 where they wish. Bulk of copra goes crushing-mills in Suva. On April 10 ices were: HAD £F47/15/-, FM P45/5/-.

WESTERN SAMOA:—Official Copra ard takes all production, sells same and ikes payments to producers. In 1961, 00-4,000 tons will go to Abels Ltd., NZ ishers, and about 6,000 tons to Unilever, IT, out of an estimated 15,000 tons pro ction, under this year’s contracts, ices last year were: Hot-Air Dried, 367/13/8 per ton, Sun-Dried No. 1, 365/3/8, Sun-Dried No. 2. £861/13/8. e 1961 prices have not been made olic yet. rONGA: —Sales are under Government atrol. Part of production goes to Europe, der arrangement with Unilever con ned by Philippines prices, and part to open market.

SOLOMON IS.: —All production marketed ough official BSI Copra Board, at prices :ed on Philippines rates. Of the >tectorate’s 1961 output (about 20,000 is), 14,000 tons will go to Unilever, i; 4,000 tons to Australian crushers; i the balance sold on the open market. :al price (which is partly financed from erves) for April: 1st grade. £A51/10/-, I grade, £A50; 3rd grade, £A47/10/ton, f.o.b., BSIP ports.

HUBERT AND ELLICE:—Production rketed In Europe through official Copra ard, at prices based on Philippines es, less “stabilisation fund" charges. • SAMOA:—Producers receive 7 cents lb. rS156.8 or £ A 70/4/6 approx, per long ). Periodic bonus, if average proceeds eed Govt, buvlng price and expenses.

JEW HEBRIDES:—In early April, rket was described as “very weak”; :e was approx. £A34 (7,000 Pac. ncs) per ton delivered Vila/Santo nch price on Apr. 7 was 81 heavy ncs per metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles.

OOK IS.: —Subject to the copra tract provisions between Cook Is. apers and Abels, Ltd., of Auckland. • operate the only NZ copra crushing , the price paid is average London :e for previous three months, less

handling charges. Price fixed for first quarter of 1961: £NZS6/0/2 Ist grade, £NZS4/15/2 standard grade—both fob Rarotonga.

TOKELAUS: Price is based on the average London price for the month prior to shipment to Auckland crushers.

Other Produce

COCOA:—lslands prices are based on the rate for Ghana cocoa which on Apr 13 was £ Stg. 170 per ton c.i.f., Sydney.

W. SAMOA;—Nominal price quoted in Sydney on Apr. 13: £SIBS, f.0.b., Apia grade 1; £SI7S, grade 2.

P.-N.G.: Apr. 13—Quote No. 1: £2OO (top grade), £l9O (medium), £IBO (low).

Quote No. 2. £l9O (medium quality).

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: Apr. 13, good quality A grade, per lb, 4/1; B grade 4/-; C grade, 3/- c.i.f., Sydney.

Overseas coffee prices were reported on Apr. 12 as: Tanganyika A £ 5tg.345 per ton, B £Stg.33o; Ungraded £Stg.3lo Kenya A £Stg.4oo, B £Stg.3ss; Ungraded £Stg.3lo; Uganda Robusta Stg.l4s.

Peanuts: P.N.G.: F.0.B., Lae, Apr. 12,

Kernels: White Spanish 1/4 lb; Red Spanish, 1/1; Virginia Bunch, 1/6. In Shell, 1/- lb. (del. buyer’s store, Sydney).

RUBBER;—P.-N.G price is based on Singapore rate, which on Apr. 11 was: No. 1 RSS, Spot, 88 Va Straits cents per lb (30.86 and Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp Tulk & Cos., Sydney, reported Apr. 14: White and yellow label, processed, standard packs. 49/9; green label, 47/9, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices as from May 1960—P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 lb bags, 5 tons and over, £56/10/per ton, f.0.w.; under 5 tons £57 per ton. Vltamised and enriched white, 112 lb bags, 5 tons and over, £63 per ton f.0.w.; under 5 tons, £63/10/- per ton.

Other Pac. Islands: Dry, brown, etc., £66 per ton f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Aus tralian M.O.P. Shell on Apr. 14 by Sydney independent shell agents were; Sound £ A 825, D £ASSO, E £A3OO, EE £AI9O (in store Sydney). Cook Islands: Penrhyn £NZSOO (approx.), f.0.b., Raro tonga.

TROCHUS: Quote No. I.—Papua-N.G. £l3s per ton, c.i.f., Sydney; 8.5.1. £145 per ton, c.i.f., Sydney. Quote No. 2: Papua-NG, 8.5.1,—£ 145/£ 150 per ton.

GREEN SNAIL short supply; £4BO per ton.

CROCODILE SKINS: 12 in. and over, small-scale, first quality: P.-N.G.—l2/per in.; 8.5.1.—15/- per in.

PAPUAN GUM: £95 per ton delivered buyer’s store, Sydney.

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Cos.

Suva, quote P 2- to F 4- lb for well processed commercial varieties.

SHARK FINS: Suva merchants offer P3/per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality.

London and US Quotations

Copra: LONDON, Apr. 13, Philippines, in bulk, $169 US per long ton, c.i.f., UK/ Nth. European ports. Malayan, ’ FMS delivered weights, c.i.f. UK/Nth. European £ Stg.63/10/- per long ton. NEW YORK; Apr. 13, Philippines $157.50 US per short ton, c.i.f. Pacific Coast ports.

CEYLON: 860 Rupees per ton, c.i.f. (£1 Australian is equal to about 2.25 US Dollars; £1 Aust. equals approx lOVa Rupees).

Coconut Oil: LONDON, Apr. 13, Ceylon, 1%, in bulk, £Stg.96 per ton, c.i.f., UK/ North European ports. Straits, 3% £Stg.9o c.i.f.

Rubber: LONDON, Apr. 11, c.i.f., RSS No. 1, Spot, 26d. Stg. per lb.; RSS July/ Sept. 26Vad. Stg. lb.; May shipment 25%d.

Stg. lb.