Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Aust. £ equals approximately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W.

Samoa; 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons & WPHC areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; $U52.25.)

Copra

PAPUA-NEW GUINEA:—AII production is delivered to Copra Marketing Board, controlled by six members, including three planters’ representatives; and the Board directs distribution and sales, and makes payments to the producers. Production goes mainly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) Australia for local consumption, (c) crushing-mill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan (surplus as available). Prices generally tally with ruling rate in Philippines, with premiums for hot-air dried.

P-NG Board’s Tentative Purchase Prices for copra delivered main ports are: Hot-Air Dried, £59/-/- per ton; FMS, £57/10/- per ton; Smoke-Dried, £56/10/- per ton.

FIJI: —No Government control —producers sell where they wish. Bulk of copra goes to crushing-mills in Suva.

Nov. 18 prices were: HAD £PS9/15/-,

Pm £Fs7/5/-.

WESTERN SAMOA:—Official Copra Board takes all production, sells same and makes payments to producers. It goes mainly to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers, and to Unilever, UK. Local price re cently was £56/12/6 Samoan, first grade.

TONGA: Sales are under Government control. Part of production goes to Europe, under arrangement with Unilever controlled by Philippines prices, and part on to open market.

SOLOMON IS.: All production marketed through official BSI Copra Board, at prices based on Philippines rate. Output goes to Unilever, UK; to Australian crushers: and the balance on to the open market. Local price in November was: Ist grade, £6O/-/-; 2nd grade, £5B/10/-; 3rd grade, £56/-/- per ton, f.0.b., BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

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

NEW HEBRIDES:—In the first week of November copra price on the International market was 100 French francs per 100 kilos.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operate the only NZ copra crushing mill. Price paid is average London price for previous three months, less handling charges. Price for third quarter, Oct.-Dec., 1963, is £NZS7/13/6 Ist grade, £NZS6/8/6 standard grade— both f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

COCOA:—lslands prices are usually based on the rates for Ghana cocoa which on Nov. 21 was £Stg.2oB/15/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

P.-N.G.; Sydney buyers on Nov. 21 re ported; Quote No. 1; In store, Rabaul, export quality £2OO-£205 per ton, or on wharf Sydney, according to quality: £220- £230; quote No. 2: Best quality, on wharf Syd., Melb., £230, in store, N.G. ports, £205 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—Nominal prices quoted in Sydney, Nov. 21, were; Grade 1, £Stg.22o; grade 2, £Stg.2lo, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: November 21, good

ar Q a ni ty , A o g / ad /;, pe * lb ’ V' t 0 4/2: B gr A de ’ a 3 {, 9 t 0 4// "’ c grade > 2/9 to 3/6, C 6y « if « Overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were reported on November 19 as Kenya AA S £Stg 5 3‘33- S £Stg 6 403‘ C S £Steffi S £ B 4S 2, 349 Bueisu AA fi? tg ?nn T^ncr Q nfi t t‘ 32 A , A A A^ tg o^ 5, B £Stg 335’ B £StA k 2- A n ffn n £ ri? tg w 4 h’ f A .ttDtg.jjb b £Stg.32s, Uganda Robusta PEANUTS™ N °P Nr Wa %v £ H Stg 305 - * j P.-N.G.. Sydney agents reported Nov. 21—f.0.b., Lae; Kernels— white Spanish 1/5 lb.; Virginia bunch P.-N.G. price Is based on Singapore rate Which on Nov. 21 was; lh 194’nRH A„ c f? ot ’ 69 Straits per vanilla' Rpiwe vlntnr „ n c Co y Sydney reported Nov. 21: White and ST,re“ e la^r^ d id.rs d y a d r n d e y . PaCkS ' RICE (Aust.): Prices until May 1, 1964—P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 ib bags, 5 tons and over, JvfA t 0 Vitam * sed and 112 lb bags ’ 5 tons and o, - Gther Pac - Islands: !«««£* or bro^ n J etc -’ £67 / 1 0/- (any quantity), f.0.w., Sydney or Menjotirn 6 .

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Austrahan M.O.P. Shell on November 21 by Sydney independent shell agents were: Sound £750, D £5OO, E £3OO, EE £l9O (in store Sydney). Cook Islands: Penrhyn £NZ42S (approx.), f.0.b., Rarotonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers on Nov. 21 indicated the following quotations to Islands producers: No. 1. Papua— nominally £lOO per ton, f.0.b., Papuan ports; N.G.— £9O, c.i.f., Sydney; 8.5.1. — £95, f.0.b., Honiara. No. 2.—Papua— £llo per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—£100 per ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyers quoted on Nov. 21: No. 1: £325 per ton ’ fob * Islands port. No. 2: £3OO (best quality), on wharf Sydney or £305 f.0.b., Islands port y ’ « CROCODILE SKINS.-On November 21 Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over. first grade Quality as follows: P.-N.G 24/ , 6 per in ’ f -°’ b - P ’ NG P° rts > small scale (salt water)- laree scale ifresh water) ( 16/- pe* in’. bSi. *24/6 small scale) del. Sydney, PAPUAN GUM: £B2/15/- fob Islands port. islands

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commercial varieties.

SHARK FINS: Suva merchants offer

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London and US Quotations

Copra: LONDON, Nov. 21, Philippines, in bulk > $ 196 us (equal to £Stg.7o/0/10) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan, FMS, delivered weights, c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports N.Q. NEW YORK: Nov. 21, Philippines! $lBO US per short ton, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports. CEYLON: 955 Rupees per ton c.i.f.

Coconut Oil: LONDON Nov 21 Ceylon 1 % in bulk £Stg.loB/-/- per ton, c.i.f.!

UK/North European ports. Straits, 3V2%!

N.Q., c.i.f.

Rubber: LONDON, Nov. 20, c.i.f., RSS No. 1 Spot, 20V 2 d Stg. lb, Jan. Ship ment 20 7 /sd Stg. lb, Dec. 20V 2 d Stg lb. (£1 Australian is equal to about 2.2 US Dollars or 10V 2 Rupees.)