Ands Produce

ess otherwise stated, quotations are stralian currency. Aust. £ equals [lmately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W ; 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons & areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; SUS 2 25.)

Copra

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

JA - NEW GUINEA;—AII production Ivered to Copra Marketing Board, led by six members, including three rs’ representatives; and the Board distribution and sales, and makes nts to the producers. Production aainly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) lia for local consumption, (c) ig-mill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan is as available). Prices generally rith ruling rate in Philippines, with ims for hot-air dried. > Board’s Tentative Purchase for copra delivered main ports are: r Dried, £AS4/10/- per ton; FMS. per ton; Smoke-Dried, £AS2 per :—No Government control —producers iere they wish. Bulk of copra goes ishing-mills in Suva. On Mar. 5 were HAD £F4S/12/6; FM 2/6.

STERN SAMOA;—Official Copra takes all production, sells same and payments to producers. It goes to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers, and lever, UK.

GA:—Sales are under Government . Part of production goes to Europe, arrangement with Unilever con by Philippines prices, and part open market. )MON IS.;—All production marketed h official BSI Copra Board, at prices on Philippines rates. Output goes ilever, UK; to Australian crushers: le balance on to the open market price in Mar. was; Ist grade, '-; 2nd grade, £46/10/-; 3rd grade, - per ton, f.0.b., BSIP ports.

JERT AND ELLlCE:—Production ;ed in Europe through official Copra at prices based on Philippines Less freight, etc. The Govt, pays 10/- per ton subsidy.

HEBRIDES:—On Mar. 1, the copra vas approximately £A3S/10/- (7,100 •ancs) per ton delivered Vila/Santo. price then was 80 heavy per metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles.

K IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., ikland, who operate the only NZ crushing mill. Price paid is average 1 price for previous three months, andling charges. Price for last r of 1961 was £NZS2/13/3 Ist grade, /8/3 standard grade—both f.0.b., nga.

Other Produce

a:—lslands prices are usually based rates for Ghana Cocoa which on 6 had recovered slightly, to 70/-/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

SAMOA; —No firm quotes available nominal prices quoted in Sydney early Mar.: grade 1 £ 5tg.275, 2 £ Stg.26o, f.0.b., Apia. .Q.: Mar. 6—Quote No. 1: £l9O rade), £lBO (medium), £l7O (low);

quote No. 2: £l9O (good quality), £lBO (medium), £l7O (low) —nominal prices.

COFFEE. —P.-N.G.: Mar. 6, 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 Mar. as Kenya A, f.a.q., £ 5tg.465, B £ Stg.4oo, C £ Stg.33o; Tanganyika AA £ 5tg.375, A £ Stg.36o, B £ Stg.33o; Buguishu AA £Stg.33o; Uganda Robusta £ Stg.ls3/10/-.

Peanuts: P.-N.G.: F.0.B., Lae, Mar. 6

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 Mar. 6 was: No. 1 RSS, Spot, 80% Straits cents per lb (28.16 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp, Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported Mar. 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 Mar. 7 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. 1. —Papua— £l3O per ton, c.i.f., Sydney; N.G. — £145 per ton, c.i.f., Sydney: 8.5.1. — £l5O per

ton, c.i.f., Sydney. Quote No. 2: Papua— £l3s per ton; NG, £125 per ton.

Green Snail Shell.—Quote No. 1:

£290 per ton; Quote No. 2: £350 (best quality).

Merchants report that the low demand Indicates prices will not again touch the inflated £ 450-odd levels ruling last year.

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 16/- 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, Mar. 6, Philippines, in bulk, $164 US per long ton, c.i.f., UK/ Nth. European ports. Malayan, FMS, delivered weights, c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, £ Stg.6o/-/- per long ton. NEW YORK; Mar. 6, Philippines $145 US per short ton, c.i.f. Pacific Coast ports.

CEYLON; 835 Rupees per ton, c.i.f. (£ 1 Australian is equal to about 2.25 US Dollars or 10y 2 Rupees).

Coconut Oil: LONDON, Mar. 6, Ceylon, 1%, in bulk, £ Stg.9o/-/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports. Straits, 3%, £Stg.B4/10/-, c.i.f.

Rubber: LONDON, Feb. 6, c.i.f., RSS No. 1, Spot, 23 5 /ad. Stg. lb; June shipment 23 7 /ad. Stg. lb; March shipment 22-11/16d.

Stg. per lb.