Ands Produce

is otherwise stated, quotations are ralian currency. Aust. £ equals nately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W. 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons & ireas; 196 Pac. Frs.; 5U52.23.)

Copra

British Ministry of Food 9-years ;, which governed copra prices , Fiji, W. Samoa, BSI, and Gilbert ice Is. (and to some extent, in and Cook Is.) expired on De -31, 1957; since when each Terri -3 made its own arrangements for n and marketing of copra.

V - NEW GUINEA: —All production Bred to Copra Marketing Board, d by six members, including three ' representatives: and the Board distribution and sales, and makes ;s to the producers. Production inly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) i for local consumption, (c) -mill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan as available). Prices generally ;h ruling rate in Philippines, with is for hot-air dried.

Board’s Tentative Purchase or copra delivered main ports are: Dried, £AS4/10/- per ton; FMS, er ton; Smoke-Dried, £AS2 per -No Government control —producers re they wish. Bulk of copra goes ling-mills in Suva. On Feb. 5 were HAD £F4S/15/-; FM TERN SAMOA:—Official Copra ,kes all production, sells same and layments to producers. It goes to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers, and ver, UK. —Sales are under Government Part of production goes to Europe, irrangement with Unilever con by Philippines prices, and part ten market. lON IS.;—All production marketed official BSI Copra Board, at prices i Philippines rates. Output goes ver, UK; to Australian crushers; balance on to the open market rice in Jan. was: Ist grade, 2nd grade, £46/10/-; 3rd grade, per ton, f.0.b., BSIP ports.

RT AND ELLlCE:—Production in Europe through official Copra at prices based on Philippines s freight, etc. The Govt, pays per ton subsidy. lEBRIDES: —On Feb. 1, the copra s approximately £A33/-/- (6,600 ics) per ton delivered Vila/Santo. price then was 80 heavy :r metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles.

IS.:—Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., and, who operate the only NZ ishing mill. Price paid is average price for previous three months, ling charges, price for last quarter was £ NZS2/13/3 Ist grade, /3 standard grade—both f.0.b., a.

Other Produce

-Islands prices are usually based ates for Ghana Cocoa which on lad fallen to £ Stg. 163/15/- per Sydney. prices generally have declined

since December, the result it appears of heavy supplies reaching UK from Ghana and Nigeria. A lack of accurate informa tion from the chief producing areas about the size of crops also has depressed the market.

W. SAMOA:—Nominal price quoted in Sydney on Feb. 7: grade 1 £ 5tg.275, grade 2 £ Stg.26o, f.0.b., Apia.

P.-N.G.: Feb. s—Quote No. 1: £2lO (top grade), £2OO (medium), £l9O (low); quote No. 2; £l9O (good quality), £lBO (medium), £l7O (low) —nominal prices.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: Feb. 5, good quality A grade, per lb, 4/- to 4/2; B grade, 4/-; C grade, 2/6 to 3/-, c.i.f., Sydney.

Overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were reported in early Feb. as Kenya A, f.a.q., £ Stg.4Bs, B £ Stg.43o, C £ 5tg.365; Tanganyika A £ Stg.36o, B £ 5tg.355, C £Stg.33o; Buguishu AA £ Stg.34o, A £ Stg.33o, B £ 5tg.325; Uganda Robusta £ Stg.lso.

World prices continue on an even trend, in spite of over-production in practically every country. Consumption is increasing and the demand for good quality coffee is as strong as ever.

Peanuts: P.-N.G.: F.0.B., Lae, Feb. 5

Kernels: White Spanish, 1/4 lb; Red Spanish, 1/2; Virginia Bunch, 1/7, in shell 1/1.

RUBBER:—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Feb. 5 was: No. 1 RSS, Spot, 83% Straits cents per lb (28.29 d Aust.).

World rubber price has shown un expected strength lately; experts put it down to a revised method of selling UK and USA stockpiles, plus fears of a crisis in the Netherlands-Indonesia dispute.

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported Feb. 7: White and yellow label, processed, standard packs. 41/-, green label 40/-, 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 Feb. 6 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— £l3o per ton, c.i.f., Sydney; N.G.—£l4s per ton, c.i.f., Sydney; 8.5.1. £l5O per ton, c.i.f., Sydney. Quote No. 2; Papua- NG, 8.5.1. £125 per ton, but tending to recover.

Green Snail Shell.—Quote No. 1;

£290 per ton; Quote No. 2: £3OO.

Sharp fall reported to be result of neglible demand for the larger supplies now reaching both European and Far East markets.

CROCODILE SKINS: 12 in. and over, first quality: P.-N.G.—Quote No. 1 15/per in., small scale (salt water), 10/per in. large scale (fresh water), f.0.b., P-NG port; Quote No. 2 16/-; 8.5.1.

Quote No. 1 15/- per in. (small scale) del. Sydney; Quote No. 2 16/- (small scale).

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

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F 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, Feb. 5, Philippines, in bulk, $163.5 US per long ton, c.i.f., UK/ Nth. European ports. Malayan, FMS, delivered weights, c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, £ Stg.62/-/- per long ton. NEW YORK: Feb. 5, Philippines $l5O US per short ton, c.i.f. Pacific Coast ports. (£ 1 Australian is equal to about 2.25 US Dollars).

Coconut Oil; LONDON, Feb. 5, Ceylon, 1%, in bulk, £Stg.B9/-/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports. Straits, 3%, £Stg.B6/-/-, c.i.f.

Since mid-Jan. prices have improved as a result of good business transacted in Colombo and Malaya in spot deliveries.

Rubber: LONDON, Feb. 5, c.i.f., RSS No. 1, Spot, 24 7 / a d. Stg. per lb; RSS, c.i.f., Feb., 25V4d Stg. per lb; June shipment 24 %d Stg. per lb.