Slands Produce

Unless otherwise stated, quotations are Australian currency. Aust. £ equals proximately 16/- Stg.. NZ, or W. moa; 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons WPHC areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; $U52.25.)

Copra

*APUA-NEW GUINEA: —All production delivered to Copra Marketing Board, itrolled by six members, including three nters’ representatives; and the Board ects distribution and sales, and makes aments to the producers. Production is mainly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) stralia for local consumption, (c) ishing-mill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan irplus as available*. Prices generally ly with ruling rate in Philippines, with ■miums for hot-air dried. »-NG Board’s Tentative Purchase ces for copra delivered main ports are: t-Air Dried, £59/-/- per ton; FMS, 17/10/- per ton; Smoke-Dried, >6/10/- per ton. !TJI: —No Government control—pro :ers sell where they wish. Bulk of ira goes to crushing-mills in Suva.

April 22 prices were: HAD ■’sl/12/6, FM £49/2/6 (exclusive of a fa delivery bonus of £FI per ton), VEST E R N SAMOA; —Official Copra ard takes all production, sells same 1 makes payments to producers. It is mainly to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers, 3 to Unilever, UK. Local price re itly was £56/12/6 Samoan, first ide.

CONGA:—Sales are under Government itrol. Part of production goes to rope, under arrangement with Unilever itrolled by Philippines prices, and part to open market.

JOLOMON IS.; —All production marketed ough official BSI Copra Board, at ces based on Philippines rates. Output is to Unilever, UK; to Australian shers; and the balance on to the open rket. Local price recently was: grade, £52/-/-; 2nd grade, £5O/-/-; : grade, £4B/-/- per ton, f.0.b., BSIP ts (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

HLBERT AND ELLlCE:—Production rketed in Europe through official Copra ard, at prices based on Philippines es less freight, etc. The Government isidy to producers is: £7/15/5 per ton Ist grade, and £3/14/7 for 2nd grade.

JEW HEBRIDES: —On Apr. 16. the ira price was approximately £4O/-/- 000 Pac. francs) per ton delivered a/Santo. French price then was 890 ncs per metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles.

COOK IS.: Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., Auckland, who operate the only NZ >ra crushing mill. Price paid is average idon price for previous three months, s handling charges. Price for second irter, to June, 1963, is £NZS7/10/5 grade, £NZS6/5/5 standard grade— ;h f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

COCOA:—lslands prices are usually sed on the rates for Ghana cocoa which Apr. 23 was £Stg. 207/6/- per ton, f., Sydney. the Food and Agriculture Organisa n Cocoa Study Group meeting held ently in Trinidad, it was unanimously ■eed to request the F.A.O. to arrange conference later this year to negotiate International Cocoa Agreement. How ir, it is understood that a minimum 3 maximum nrice range has not, as , been agreed upon.

P.-N.G.: Sydney buyers on Apr. 24 re

ported: Quote No. 1: In store, Rabaul, export quality £2lO per ton, or on wharf Sydney, according to quality; £2OO-£215; quote No. 2: Best quality, on wharf Syd., Melb., £220-£225; in store, N.G. ports, £226 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—Nominal prices quoted in Sydney. Apr. 19 were; Grade 1, £Stg.2so: grade 2, £Stg.23o, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE— P.-N.G.: April 24, good 3? a * lty A g s ade> , pc T lb> t 0 4 /2: B grade, 3/9 to 4/-; C grade, 2/9 to 3/4, c.1.i., Sydney.

Overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were reported on Apr. 22 as; Kenya A, f.a.q., £ 5tg.345, B £ 5tg.335, U/G £Stg.3lo; Bugisu A £ Stg.3lo, B £ Stg.3os' Tanganyika AA £Stg.36s. B £Stg 315 U/G £Stg. 290; Uganda Robusta £Stg.2lB.

PEANUTS: P-NG' Svdnev aeents

report: "No B suppile"' becausTo”Sry cllT-

tions—no quotations available until after July/Aug. shipment received.”

RUBBER.! P.-N.G. price is bsised on Singapore rate, which on Apr. 22 was: 76V4 Stra “ s cents per Rubber prtos on the London market have moved within narrow limits during the past month, with the market remaining firm. Wintering is affecting production but it is not expected to be so severe as last year. There has been a fair interest in rubber for shipment in 1964 VANILLA BEANS: Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported Apr. 22: White and yellow label processed, standard packs, 35/-, green label 34/-. c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices from early May, 1963—P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 lb bags, 5 tons and over. £5B/10/- per ton, f.o.w. Vitamised and enriched white. 112 lb bags, 5 tons and over. £65 - - f.o.w. (Note: New prices will not apply until after sailing of the May Montoro, Shansi, Anking, Slevik and Slitan). Other Pac. Islands: Dry, white or brown, etc. £67/10/- (any quantity), f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne.

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Australian M.O.P. Shell in mid-April by Sydney independent shell agents were;

Sound £825, D £5OO, E £3OO, EE £l9O (in store Sydney). Cook Islands: Penrhyn £NZ42S (approx.t, f.0.b., Raro tonga.

TKOCHUS.—Sydney buyers in mid-Apr. indicated the following quotations to Islands producers; No. I.—Papua— nominally £95 per ton, f.0.b., Papuan ports; N.G. — £B5, c.i.f., Sydney: 8.5.1. £9O, f.0.b., Honiara. No. 2.—Papua— £loo per ton; N.G., 8.5.1. £lOO per ton. green SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyers quoted on Apr. 24: No. 1: £295 per ton, f. 0 .b., Islands port. No. 2: £3OO (best quality), on wharf, Sydney; or £305 f.0.b., Islands port.

Crocodile Skins.—On April 24

Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over flrst S rade quality as follows: P.-N.G.— 19/- per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, small scale (salt water,: lar e e scale ffresh *“• (Small Scale) deL Sydney ’

PAPUAN GUM: £B2/15/- f.o.b. Islands port. rfptif nr tvtf't? • pt-onr? r p A tQ B ? to g p3/’ « q to l 1 k/ lb tor wef'proceed commerc,al SHARK FINS: Suva mechants offer F4/6 per lb for well-dried fins of com mercial quality. Sydney buyers quote 6/to 8/- lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality,

London and US Quotations

a on „ u ... „ C k A ? r ‘ 2 2, * m b^ lk > $179-25 US (equal to £ Stg.64) per long ton, c.Lf., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan, FMS, delivered weights, c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, £Stg.9B S®* 10 ?* ton -, e „ SP* YORK: Apr / 22 ”

Philippines, $167.50 US per short ton, Paciflc Coast ports. CEYLON: 980 Ru P ees P er ton c.i.f.

Coconut Oil: LONDON, April 22, Ceylon, 1% in bu i k £Stg.9B/-/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports. Straits, 3%. £Stg.94/-/- c.i.f.

Rubber: LONDON, Apr. 22, c.i.f., RSS No. 1 spot, 22 3 4 d. Stg. lb, June shipment 22%d. Stg. lb. (£1 Australian is equal to about 2.2 US Dollars or 10 Vs Rupees.)