Slands Produce

Unless otherwise stated, quotations are Australian currency. Aust. £ equals roximately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W. 10a; 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons & HC areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; JU52.25.)

Copra

he British Ministry of Food 9-years tract, which governed Copra prices s apua and New Guinea, Fiji, Western 10a, Solomon Islands, and Gilbert and :e Colony (and. to some extent, In ga and Cook Islands) expired on De ber 31, 1957; since when each Terrl has made its own arrangements for sction and marketing of copra.

IPUA - NEW GUINEA:—AII production lelivered to Copra Marketing Board, rolled by six members, including three ters’ representatives; and the Board cts distribution and sales, and makes nents to the producers. Production mainly to (a) Unilever (30,000 tons :r contract covering 1961), (b) Aus a (30,000 tons for local consumption), crushing-mill in Rabaul (40,000 tons), (d) Japan (300 tons per month or > if available). Prices generally ar ed in accordance with ruling rate In ppines market, with premiums for air dried. om January 1, 1961, P-NG Copra •d’s Tentative Purchase Prices, for a delivered main ports: Hot-Air Dried 4/10/- per ton; FMS, £AS3 per ton; ke-Dried, £AS2 per ton.

JI: —No Government control —producers where they wish. Bulk of copra goes rushing-mills in Suva. On May 8 (S were: HAD £F4B/10/-, FM 5/-/-.

E STERN SAMOA:—Official Copra d takes all production, sells same and ;s payments to producers. In 1961, -4,000 tons will go to Abels Ltd., NZ iers, and about 6,000 tons to Unilever, out of an estimated 15,000 tons pro on, under this year’s contracts. •NQA: —Sales are under Government rol. Part of production goes to Europe, r arrangement with Unilever con 'd by Philippines prices, and part 0 open market.

LOMON IS.;—All production marketed igh official BSI Copra Board, at prices 1 on Philippines rates. Of the sctorate’s 1961 output (about 20,000 . 14,000 tons will go to Unilever, 4,000 tons to Australian crushers; the balance sold on the open market. price (which is partly financed from yes) for May; Ist grade, £A49/-10/-, grade, £A4B; 3rd grade, £45/10/-, ton, f.0.b., BSIP ports.

AND ELLICE :-Productlon ■eted in Europe through official Copra a, at prices based on Philippines , less “stabilisation fund” charges.

W HEBRIDES:—In early May, et was described as “very weak” was approx. £A34 (6,800 Pac’. s) per ton delivered Vila/Santo ;n price on May 5 was 82,500 met s per metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles." 3K IS.:—Subject to the copra act provisions between Cook Is ers and Abels, Ltd., of Auckland' operate the only NZ copra crushing the price paid is average London for previous three months, less i“g charges. Price fixed for first " 1961: £ NZS6/0/2 Ist grade •4/15/2 standard grade—both fob onga. ‘ ’

SELA.US: Price is based on the ge London price for the month prior Ipment to Auckland crushers.

Other Produce

T , , COCOA:—lslands prices are based on the rate for Ghana cocoa which on May 10 was £ Stg. 179/15/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

W. SAMOA:—Nominal price quoted in Sydney on May 5: £S2IO, f.0.b., Apia, S rade !• P.-N.G.: May 11—Quote No. 1; £2OO (top grade), £l9O (medium), £lBO (low).

Quote No. 2. £l9O (medium quality).

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: May 11, good quality A grade, per lb, 4/-; B grade, 3/10; C grade, 3/- c.i.f., Sydney—end of season coffee; new crop not yet available.

End of season overseas coffee prices r^> e aJ e^^ ted ° n May 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. 145.

Peanuts: P.-N.G.: F.0.B., Lae May 11

Kernels; White Spanish 1/5 lb - Red Spanish, 1/2; Virginia Bunch, 1/7. In Shell, 1/- lb. (del. buyer’s store. Sydney).

SiSor?rTt P e: N^ich Pr on May’TVs’■ 9Ol/4 Straits cents per c VA g IFLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Si«5 y 1 n S y ; reported Ma y 11; White and yellow label processed, standard packs. 49/9; green label, 47/9, c.i.f., Sydney. iq?i IC p vr" st T T : Rrice£ L as from May ’

*s^n»-a?%srttz l .':r.r

‘ill

lb bags, 5 tons and over £63 fow ■ under 5 tons, £63/10/-.’ other Pac!

Islands: Dry, brown, etc., 5 tons and over, £64/10/- (down £l/10/-); under 5 tons £65 per ton, f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne PEARL SHELL.-Quotations for Aus-

tralian M.O.P, Shell on May 11 by Sydney independent shell agents were: Sound £AB2S, 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. —£l4o per ton, c.i.f., Sydney; 8.5.1. £145 per ton > cif * Sydney. Quote No. 2: Papua-NG, 8.5.1. £145/£l5O per ton.

Green Snail Shell.—£4Bo Per Ton;

* n s^or t supply.

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. delivered

Rfrhf Nf *

q®* nw!’, Sln * Lo , ong Co q?ote F2/ ‘,\° p V- lb for well processed commercial varieties.

SH ,I: R ? FINS: Suva merchants offer F3/per ,.; b for wel i' dr ied fins of commercial QUa lty '

London and US Quotations

M f y 3 in Nth. European ports. ooB Malayan, *’’ PMs( ports. £Stg.S^/IS/I'^er^ong 1 ton EUr °lSw YORK: May 10. Philippines $157.50 US per short ton, c.i.f. Pacific Coast Softs CEYLON; 860 Rupees per ton c.i.f „ Australia n is equal to about 2.25 & £l A,Mt equa,s io^

I .fr"u° U X^Te r ‘“i

£St B -92 per ton, c.i.f., UK/ £Stg 88/10 P ° rtS ‘ BtraltS ’ 3% * Rubber: LONDON - May 11, c.i.f., RSS t! 0, I, < Spot> 261/ad - Stg. per lb.; RSS Oct./ lb. Stg ‘ shlpment 26%d -