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, £6l/10/- per ton; FMS, £6O/-/- per ton; Smoke-Dried! £59/-/- per ton.

FIJI:—No Government control—pro ducers sell where they wish. Bulk of copra goes to crushing-mills In Suva March 16 prices were: HAD £FIS/12/6

Fm £ F52/2/6.

WESTERN SAMOA:—Official Copra Board takes all production, sells same and makes payments to producers. It goes mainly to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers and the open market. Local price re grad? WaS £ 56/12/6 Samoan, first r.r.JP N i GA: 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. ? S ; : All P rod uction marketed °® cial BSI c °P ra Board, at + on Philippines rate. Output goes to Unilever, UK; to Australian ’ fn? , the balance on to the open Local price in March was: £ 6/ -/-: 2nd grade, £5B/10/-; norts g f 56/-/ " P er ton . f.0.b., BSIP P rTTPPn^ n ara ’ Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT and ELLlCE:—Production

marketed in Europe through official Copra Board, at prices based on Philippines rates less freight, etc. The Copra Board subsidises the price at; First Grade £6/4/2 per ton, Second Grade £2/2/1 per ton.

NEW HEBRIDES:—The latest copra price available was approximately £A37 (7,400 Pac. francs), French price at that time was 880 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. Prices for second quarter. Apr.-June, 1964, is £NZ6O/8/10 Ist grade, £NZS9/3/10 standard grade— both f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

COCOA:—lslands prices are usually based on the rates for Ghana cocoa which on Mar. 20 was £Stg.l9o per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

P.-N.G.: Sydney buyers on Mar. 20 re ported; Quote No. 1: In store, Rabaul, export quality £l9O per ton, or on wharf Sydney, according to quality: £220; quote No. 2: Best quality, on wharf Syd., £215-£220, in store, N.G. ports, £lBO-£lB5 (for UK. Continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA;—Nominal prices quoted in Sydney, Mar. 18, were: Grade 1, £Stg.l9o; grade 2, £Stg.l7s, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE:—P.N.G.; March 23, good quality A grade, per lb, 4/- to 4/2; B grade. 3/9 to 4/-; C grade, 2/9 to 3/6, c.i.f., Sydney.

Overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were re ported on March 11 as Kenya AA £ 5t.405-£ 5t.477, A £ 5t.400- £5t.453, B £ 5t.395- £St.44O, C £St.3B4-£St.4l5; Bugisu AA £ 5t.390, A £St.3B5, B £ 5t.380; Tanganyika AA £St.39O, A £ 5t.385, B £ 5t.380. On March 11 Uganda Robusta (standard) was £St.33O.

PEANUTS. P.-N.G.: Sydney agents reported Mar. 23 —f.0.b., Lae; Kernels — white Spanish 1/5 lb.; Virginia bunch 1/7 lb.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Mar. 20 was: No. 1, RSS, Spot, 7014 Straits cents per lb (29.49 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk Co., Sydney, reported Mar. 23: White ar yellow label processed, standard pact 34/-, green label 33/-, c.i.f., Sydney.

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

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for An tralian M.O.P. Shell on March 23 I Sydney independent shell agents wer Sound £750, D £5OO, E £3OO, I £l9O (in store Sydney). Cook Island Penrhyn £NZ42S (approx.), f.0.b., Rar tonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers on Mar. ; indicated the following quotations Islands producers: No. 1. Papua nominally £9O-£95 per ton, f.0.b., Papua ports; N.G.—£9o, c.i.f., Sydney: 8.5.1.- £9O-£95, f.0.b., Honiara. No. 2. —Papo £llO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—£100 pi ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buye quoted on Mar. 23: No. 1: £4OO pi ton, f.0.b., Rabaul. No. 2: £3C (best quality), on wharf, Sydney; or £3( f.0.b., Islands port.

Crocodile Skins.—On March 5

Sydney buyers quoted for 12 In. and ove first grade quality as follows: P.-N.G.- 30 - per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, sma scale (salt water); large scale (fres water) 18/- per in. 8.5.1. 24/6 (sma scale) del. Sydney.

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

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co Suva, quote F 2- (4 in. to 7 in.) to F 3, (9 in. to 11 in.) lb for well processe commercial varieties.

SHARK FINS: Suva merchants offf F4/6 per lb for well-dried fins of con mercial quality. Sydney buyers quote 6/ to 8/6 lb., ex-store Sydney, according t quality.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, Mar. 20, Philippine: in bulk, $lBB US (equal t £Stg.67/3/7) per long ton, c.i.f UK/Nth. European ports. Malayar FMS, NQ, UK/Nth. European port: NEW YORK: Mar. 20, Philippines $172.50 US per short ton, c.i.f., Pacifi Coast ports. CEYLON: 920 Rupees pe ton, c.i.f.

Coconut Oil: LONDON, Mar. 20, Ceylon 1% in bulk £Stg.lol/5/- per ton, c.i.f, UK/North European ports. Straits, 3V2% NQ c.i.f.

Rubber: LONDON, Mar. 20, c.i.f., RS!

No. 1 Spot, 20-9/16d Stg. lb. June c.i.f 20-13/16d Stg. lb, April c.i.f., 20-11/161 Stg. lb. (£1 Australian is equal to about 2.!

US Dollars or 10 V 2 Rupees.)