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.

June 15 prices were: HAD £FS7/17/6

Fm £Fss/7/6. ’

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 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 June was: Ist grade, £6O/-/-; 2nd grade, £5B/10/-; 3rd grade, £56/-/- per ton, f.0.b., BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Glzo).

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: —Price on June 10 was approximately £A4O/-/- (8,000 Pac. francs), French price at that time was 945 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 third quarter, July-Sept., 1964, is £NZS9/14/8 Ist grade, £NZSB/9/8 standard grade— both f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

COCOA:—lslands prices are usually based on the rates for Ghana cocoa.

July shipment is £ Stg.2lo/-/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

P.-N.G.: Sydney buyers on June 22 re ported: Quote No. 1: In store, Rabaul, 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, June 18, were: Grade 1, £ Stg.l7s; grade 2, £Stg.l6o, f.0.b., Apia.

Coffee:—P.-N.G.; June 22,

quality A grade, per lb, 4/- to 4 grade 3/9 to 4/-; C grade, 2/9 t c.i.f., Sydney.

Overseas c.i.f. coffee prices we] ported on May 27 as Kenys £Stg.42o, A £Stg.4lo, B £Stg.4 £Stg.37s; Bugisu AA £Stg.3B £Stg.37B, B £Stg.372, Tanganyik £Stg.3Bo, A £Stg.37B, B £St Uganda Robusta (standard) £Stg.3 PEANUTS. P.-N.G.: Sydney reported June 22 —f.0.b., Lae; Kei white Spanish 1/5 lb.; Virginia 1/7 lb.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is basi Singapore rate, which on June 17 No. 1, RSS, Spot, 67% Straits cen lb (23.49 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp 1 Co., Sydney, reported June 22: Whil yellow label processed, standard 33/3, green label 32/6, c.i.f., Sydn RICE (Aust.): Prices until M 1965—P.-N.G.: Dry brown and d 112 lb bags, £59/10/- per ton.

Vitamised and enriched white, 1 bags, £65/15/- f.o.w. Other Pac. Is Dry, white or brown, etc., £6B/-/quantlty), f.0.w., Sydney or Melbot PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for tralian M.O.P. Shell on June S Sydney independent shell agents Sound £B5O, D £625, E £35( £235 (in store Sydney). Cook Is Penrhyn £NZ42S (approx.), f.0.b., tonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers on Ju indicated the following quotatloi Islands producers: No. 1. —Pa nominally £9O-£95 per ton, f.0.b., P ports; N.G.— £B5- £9O, c.i.f., Sj 8.5.1. £9O-£95, f.0.b., Honiara. —Papua—£llo per ton; N.G., B £9O per ton.

Green Snail Shell.—Sydney 1

quoted on June 22: No. 1; £321 ton, f.0.b., Rabaul; £3OO on y Sydney. No. 2: £3OO (best qu on wharf, Sydney; or £305 f.0.b., I ports.

Crocodile Skins.—On June

Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in, and first grade quality as follows: P.-I 30/- per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, scale (salt water); large scale water) 18/- per in. 8.5.1. 30/- i scale) del. Sydney.

Papuan Gum; £B2/15/- F.O.B. I

port, £95 del. Sydney or Melbourr BECHE-DE-MER; Chang Sing Loon Suva, quote P 2- (4 in. to 7 in.) to (9 in. to 11 in.) lb for well proi commercial varieties.

ICEP Pty. Ltd., Sydney, are inte: in offers of well prepared edible var SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Suva, offer F4/6 per lb for well-driei of commercial quality. ICEP Pty.

Sydney, quote 6/6 to 8/6 lb., ex Sydney, according to quality.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, June 18, Philip] in bulk, $209 US (equal £Stg.74/15/10) per long ton, UK/Nth. European ports. Mai PMS, NQ, UK/Nth. European NEW YORK: June 18, Philip] $lB5 US per short ton, c.i.f., P Coast ports. CEYLON: 930 Rupee: ton, c.i.f.

Coconut Oil: LONDON, June 18, C< 1% in bulk, £Stg.loB/-/- per ton, UK/North European ports. Straits, c NQ c.i.f.

Rubber; LONDON, June 17, c.i.f., No. 1 Spot, 20%d Stg. lb, August 20%d Stg. lb, June c.i.f., 14-15/16d lb. (£ 1 Australian is equal to abou US Dollars or 10 Vt. Rupees.)