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.; $U52.26.)

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 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: Dned> £6l/10/- per ton; FMS, p f r 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 £PS2/To/- es were: HAD r^ 81 SAMOA:— Official Copra a£d all P roductlon - sells same apd ma !f e f Payments to producers. it mainly to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers SlffiJ* 8 ° Pen market - Local price re grade 7 WaS £ 56/12/6 Samoan. first conSS GA: R S o a d eS f Te under Government Part of production goes to Europe, under arrangement with Unilever « prlce " “ Bsi pr ss ion ßoT r rM market S ’ balance on to the open St grade £ Rn/, . P o lC „ e in May was: ISI grade, £6O/-/-; 2nd grade, £5B/10/--

marketed in Europe through® official Cop°ra

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:—Price in early May was approximately £A3B/10/- (7,700 Pac. francs), French price at that time was 910 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.

Apr.-June shipment is £Stg. 182/10/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

P.-N.G.: Sydney buyers on May 22 re ported: Quote No. 1: In store, Rahaul export quality £175 per ton, or on wharf Sydney, according to quality £200; quote No. 2: Best quality, on wharf Syd., £205, in store, N.G. ports, £lBO (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—Nominal prices quoted In Sydney, May 12, were: Grade 1, £Stg.lBo -2, £Stg.l6s, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: May 22, 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 May 15 as Kenya AA £ 5t.388-£ 5t.405, A £ 5t.384- £St.4Ol, B £5t.357- £ 5t.390, C £St.37l-£St.4l3; Bugisu AA £ 5t.380, A £St.37B, B £ 5t.372, Tanganyika AA £St.3BO, A £ 5t.378, B £5t.372; Uganda Robusta (standard) £St.3Ol.

PEANUTS. P.-N.G.; Sydney agents reported May 22—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 May 19 was: No. 1, RSS, Spot, 68% Straits cents per lb (23.84 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk Co., Sydney, reported May 22: White i yellow label processed, standard pac 33/3, green label 32/6, c.i.f., Sydney.

I Q^ ICI L < A J? st - ): Prices untll Ma y S T P, ' N-G " Dry brown and dress 112 lb bags, £59/10/- per ton, f.o Vitamised and enriched white, 112 bags, £65/15/- f.o.w. Other Pac. Islan Dry, white or brown, etc., £6B/-/- (i quantity), f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for A tralian M.O.P. Shell on May 22 Sydney independent shell agents we Sound £B5O, D £625, E £350, . £235 (in store Sydney). Cook Islan Penrhyn £NZ42S (approx.), f.0.b., Ra tonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers on May indicated the following quotations Islands producers: No. 1. Papna nominally £9O-£95 per ton, f.0.b., Papu Ports; N.G. — £9O, c.i.f., Sydney; 8.5.1 £9O-£95, f.0.b., Honiara. No. 2. — Pap £llO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1. £lOO i ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buy quoted on May 22: No. 1: £325 ] ton, f.0.b., Rabaul; £3OO on wha Sydney. No. 2: £3OO (best qualit on wharf, Sydney; or £305 f.0.b., Islar ports.

Crocodile Skins—On May

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

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

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong C Suva, quote P 2- (4 in. to 7 in.) to P 2 (9 in. to 11 in.) lb for well process commercial varieties.

ICEP Pty. Ltd., Sydney, are interest in offers of well prepared edible varietii SHARK FINS: Suva merchants ofl P4/6 per lb for well-dried fins of coi mercial quality. Sydney buyers quote 6 to 8/6 lb., ex-store Sydney, according quality.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, May 20, Philippinf in bulk, $193 US (equal £Stg. 68/18/10) per long ton, c.i.

UK/Nth. European ports. Malaya FMS, NQ, UK/Nth. European porl NEW YORK: May 20, Philippine $lBO US per short ton, c.i.f.. Pad) Coast ports. CEYLON: 910 Rupees p ton, c.i.f.

Coconut Oil: LONDON, May 20, Ceylo: 1% in bulk, £Stg.lo2/-/- per ton, c.i.: UK/North European ports. Straits, 2 1 /z t , NQ c.i.f.

Rubber:: LONDON, May 19, c.i.f., RS No. 1 Spot, 20%d Stg. lb, August c.i.) 20%d Stg. lb, June c.i.f., 20%d Sti lb. (£1 Australian is equal to about 2 US Dollars or 10V 2 Rupees.)