Islands Produce

jless otherwise stated, quotations are astralian currency. Aust. £ equals ixlmately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W >a 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga. Solomons & C areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; 5U52.25.)

Copra

e British Ministry of Pood 0-year& •act which governed copra prices ipua and New Guinea, Fiji, Western ia Solomon Islands, and Gilbert and i Colony (and. to some extent, in a and Cook Islands) expired on De er 31, 1957; since when each Terrl has made its own arrangements foi tion and marketing of copra. ?UA - NEW GUINEA:—AII production illvered to Copra Marketing Board oiled by six members, including three ers’ representatives; and the Board ts distribution and sales, and makes ents to the producers. Production mainly to (a) Unilever (30,000 tons ■ contract covering 1961), (b) Aus , (30,000 tons for local consumption), rushing-mill in Rabaul (40,000 tons), (d) Japan (300 tons per month or if available). Prices generally tally ruling rate in Philippines, with lums for hot-air dried, m January 1, 1961, P-NG Copra i’s Tentative Purchase Prices, for , delivered main ports: Hot-Air Dried /10/- per ton; FMS, £AS3 per ton; e-Dried, £AS2 per ton. (I:—No Government control—producers (There they wish. Bulk of copra goes •ushing-mills in Suva. On Sept. 4 5 were: HAD £F47/10/-, FM /-/-• SST E R N SAMOA:—Official Copra 1 takes all production, sells same and s payments to producers. In 1961, ■4,000 tons will go to Abels Ltd., NZ ers. and about 6,000 tons to Unilever, out of an estimated 15,000 tons pro on. under this year’s contracts.

NGA: —Sales are under Government 01. Part of production goes to Europe, p arrangement with Uniliver con id by Philippines prices, and part > open market.

LOMON IS.: —All production marketed igh official BSI Copra Board, at prices I on Philippines rates. Of the ictorate’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 ves) in Sept.: Ist grade, £ASO/10/-; jrade, £A49/-/-; 3rd grade, £A46/10/ion, f.0.b., BSIP ports.

LBERT AND ELLlCE:—Production ;eted in Europe through official Copra d, at prices based on Philippines >, less “stabilisation fund” charges. 1W HEBRIDES:—On Sept. 1, the copra ! was approx. £A37/10/- (7,500 Pac. cs) per ton delivered Vila/Santo. ch price the same day was 84y 2 heavy cs per metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles. >OK IS.: —Subject to the copra ract provisions between Cook Is. pers and Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, operate the only NZ copra crushing the price paid is average London * for previous three months, less ahng charges. Price fixed for third rter 0 f 1961 is £NZS2/6/10 Ist grade, 651/1/10 standard grade—both f.0.b,, Dtonga. pKELAUS: Price is based on the age London price for the month prior blpment to Auckland crushers.

Other Produce

COCOA: —Islands prices are based on the rates for Ghana cocoa which on Sept. 6 was £ Stg.l6s per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

W. SAMOA: —Nominal price quoted in Sydney on Sept. 6: grade 1 £S24O, grade 2 £ 5230, f.0.b., Apia.

P.-N.G.: Sept. 6 —Quote No. 1: £2OO (top grade), £l9O (medium), £lBO (low).

Quote No. 2. £195 (good quality), £l9O (medium).

COFFEE. —P.-N.G.: Sept. 6, good quality A grade, per lb, 4/- to 4/2; B grade, 4/-; C grade, 2/6 to 3/-, c.i.f., Sydney.

PEANUTS: P.-N.G.; F.0.b., Lae, Sept. 6, Kernels: White Spanish, 1/4 lb; Red Spanish, 1/2; Virginia Bunch, 1/7. In shell, 1/- lb. (del. buyer’s store, Sydney).

RUBBER: —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Sept. 5 was: No. 1 RSS, Spot, 84 V* Straits cents per lb (29.38 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported Sept. 6: White and yellow label, processed, standard packs. 47/-; green label, 45/-, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust,): Prices as from May, 1961—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. Vitamised and enriched white, 112 lb bags, 5 tons and over, £63 f.0.w.; under 5 tons. £63/10/-. Other Pac.

Islands: Dry, brown, etc., 5 tons and over, £64/10/-; under 5 tons, £65 per ton, f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne.

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Aus tralian M.O.P. Shell on Sept. 6 by Svdney 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. £lB5 per ton, c.i.f., Sydney; 8.5.1. £175 per ton, c.i.f., Sydney. Quote No. 2: Papua-NG, 8.5.1. £l7O per ton.

Green Snail Shell.—Quote No 1:

£460 per ton; Quote No. 2: £465.

CROCODILE SKINS: 12 in. and over, small-scale, first quality: P.-N.G.—Quote No. 1 15/- per in.; Quote No. 2 16/-; B.S.l.—Quote No. 1 15/- per in.; Quote No. 2 16/-.

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

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F 2- to P 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, Sept. 4, 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 ports, £Stg.6o/15/- per long ton. NEW YORK; Aug. 3, Philippines $157.50 US per short ton, c.i.f. Pacific Coast ports.

CEYLON: 765 Rupees per ton, c.i.f. (£1 Australian is equal to about 2.25 US Dollars: £1 Aust. equals approx. IOVa Rupees).

Coconut Oil: LONDON, Sept. 4, Ceylon, 1%, in bulk, £Stg.BB/10/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports. Straits, 3%, £Stg.B3/10/-, c.i.f.

Rubber: LONDON, Sept. 4, c.i.f., RSS No. 1, Spot, 25V 2 d. Stg. per lb.; RSS Nov./ Dec. 25 5 /sd. Stg. lb.; Sept, shipment 25%d.

Stg. lb.