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.; 5U52.25.)

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: / Dried ’ £59 /-/' ton; FMS, fSJ/W- per ton; Smoke-Dried, £56/10/- per ton.

FIJI:—No Government control—pro ducers sell where they wish. Bulk of copra goes to crushing-mills in Suva FM £FS4/?/6 eS Were: HA ° £FS6/17/6 - WESTERN SAMOA:—Official Copra Board takes all production, sells same and makes payments to producers it goes mainly to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers a ?d Unilever - UK - Local price re g?ade WaS £ 56/12/6 Samoan, first o™^ GA: r, Sal , es are under Government Eumni' „ ? art 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 December 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:—On November 22 the copra price was approximately £4l/-/- (8,200 Pac. francs). French price on Dec. 4 was 955 francs per metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles.

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 Dec. 13 was £Stg.2o6/6/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

P.-N.G.: Sydney buyers on Dec. 13 re ported: Quote No. 1: In store, Rabaul export quality £2lO per ton, or on wharf Sydney, according to quality; £220- £230; quote No. 2: Best quality, on wharf Syd., £235-£240, in store, N.G. ports. £220 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—Nominal prices quoted in

Sydney, Dec. 16, were: Grade 1, £Stg.2ls grade 2, £Stg.2os, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE. —P.-N.G.: December 16, gooi quality A grade, per lb, 4/- to 4/2; ] grade, 3/9 to 4/-; C grade, 2/9 to 3/€ c.i.f., Sydney.

Overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were re ported on December 3 as Kenya A. £Stg.3s4-£Stg.46l, A £Stg.33s-£Stg.43B B £Stg.3oB/10/0- £Stg.39s, C £Stg.3o4 £Stg.333/10/0; Bugisu AA £Stg.3l£ A £Stg.3os, B £Stg.3oo; Tanganyik AA £Stg.32s, A £Stg.3ls, B £Stg.3lo Uganda Robusta (standard £Stg.3l2/10/0.

PEANUTS. P.-N.G.: Sydney agent reported Dec. 13 —f.0.b., Lae; Kernels white Spanish 1/5 lb.; Virginia bunc 1/8 lb.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is based o Singapore rate, which on Dec. 13 was No. 1, RSS, Spot, 66Vs Straits cents pe lb (23.06 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk i Co., Sydney, reported Dec. 16: White am yellow label processed, standard pack: 30/- green label 29/-, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices until May ] 1964—P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressec 112 lb bags, 5 tons and ove: £5B/10/- per ton, f.o.w. Vitamised an enriched white, 112 lb bags, 5 tons an over, £65/-/- f.o.w. Other Pac. Islands Dry, white or brown, etc., £67/10/- (an quantity), f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne.

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Aus tralian M.O.P. Shell on December 16 b Sydney independent shell agents were Sound £750, D £5OO, E £3OO, E: £l9O (in store Sydney). Cook Islands Penrhyn £NZ42S (approx.), f.0.b., Rare tonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers on Dec. 1 indicated the following quotations t Islands producers: No. 1. Papua nominally £9O-£95 per ton, f.0.b., Papuai ports; N.G.—£9o, c.i.f., Sydney: 8.5.1.- £9O-£95, f.0.b., Honiara. No. 2.—Papa £llO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1. £lOO pe ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyer quoted on Dec. 16: No. 1: £325 pe ton, f.0.b., Islands port. No. 2; £3O: (best quality), on wharf, Sydney; or £3O f.0.b., Islands port.

CROCODILE SKINS.—On December 1 Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and ovei first grade quality as follows: P.-N.G.- 24/6 per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, sma, scale (salt water); large scale (fres; water) 16/- per in. 8.5.1. 24/6 (sma' scale) del. Sydney.

PAPUAN GUM: £B2/15/- f.o.b. Island port, £95 del. Sydney or Melbourne.

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co( Suva, quote F 2- (4 in. to 7 in.) to F3/' (9 in. to 11 in.) lb for well processes commercial varieties.

SHARK FINS: Suva merchants offe= F4/6 per lb for well-dried fins of com mercial quality. Sydney buyers quote 6/' to 8/- lb., ex-store Sydney, according tJ quality.

London and US Quotations

Copra; LONDON, Dec. 13, Philippines, in bulk, $193.75 US (equal to £Stg.69/5/5 i per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. Europeai, ports. Malayan, 1% oil, £ Stg. 102/10/c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports. NEW YORK: Dec. 13, Philippines, $177.50 US per short ton, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports-i CEYLON: 930 Rupees per ton, c.i.f.

Coconut Oil: LONDON, Dec. 13, Ceylonc 1% in bulk £ Stg. 102/-/- per ton, c.i.f..’

UK/North European ports. Straits, 3%%} N.Q., c.i.f.

Rubber: LONDON, Dec. 13, c.i.f., RSS No. 1 Spot. 19-15/16d Stg. lb, MarcH Shipment 20-3/16d Stg. lb, Dec. c.i.f.. 19-13/16d Stg. lb. (£ 1 Australian is equal to about 2.1.

US Dollars or 10% Rupees.)