Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are . Australian currency. Aust. £ equals iproximately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W. imoa; 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons WPHC areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; $U52.25.)

Copra

PAPUA-NEW GUINEA:—AII production delivered to Copra Marketing Board, mtrolled by six members, including three anters’ representatives; and the Board rects distribution and sales, and makes lyments to the producers. Production les mainly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) istralia for local consumption, (c) ushing-mill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan urplus as available). Prices generally lly with ruling rate in Philippines, with •emiums for hot-air dried.

P-NG Board’s Tentative Purchase rices for Copra delivered main ports are: ot-Air Dried, £6l/10/- per ton; FMS, 60/-/- per ton; Smoke-Dried, 59/-/- per ton.

FIJI:—No Government control —proicers sell where they wish. Bulk of ipra goes to crushing-mills in Suva, ct. 26 prices were: HAD £FS7/10/-,

£Fss/-/-.

WESTERN SAMOA: —Official Copra aard takes all production, sells same id makes payments to producers. It >es mainly to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers, id the open market. Local price re cently was £56/12/6 Samoan, first •ade.

TONGA: Sales are under Government mtrol. Part of production goes to arope, under arrangement with Unilever mtrolled by Philippines prices, and part i to open market.

SOLOMON IS.: All production marketed trough official BSI Copra Board, at rices based on Philippines rate. Output >es to Unilever, UK; to Australian ■ushers; and the balance on to the open .arket. Local price in October was; it grade, £6O/-/-; 2nd grade. £5B/10/-: •d grade, £56/-/- per ton, f.0.b., BSIP arts (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLlCE:—Production larketed in Europe through official Copra oard, at prices based on Philippines ites less freight, etc. The Copra Board ibsidises the price at: First Grade ‘6/4/2 per ton, Second Grade £2/2/1 sr ton.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Price on Oct. 12 as approximately £A4O/-/- (8,000 Pac. •ancs), French price on Oct. 23 was 40 francs per metric ton, c.i.f., [arseilles.

COOK IS:—Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., f Auckland, who operate the only NZ apra crushing mill. Price paid is average ondon price for previous three months, iss handling charges. Prices for fourth uarter, Oct.-Dec., 1964, is £NZ63/10/3 st grade, £NZ62/5/3 standard grade— oth f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

COCOA: —Islands prices are usually ased on the rates for Ghana cocoa.

Fov.-Dec. shipment is £ Stg. 184/-/- per an, c.i.f., Sydney.

P.-N.G.: Sydney buyers on Oct. 29 re orted: Quote No. 1: In store, Rabaul, xport quality £lB6 per ton, ex-wharf lydney, according to quality; £215; uote No. 2; Best quality, on wharf Syd., E2OO, in store, N.G. ports, £lBO-£lB3 for UK, continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—Nominal prices quoted in lydney, October 29, were; Grade 1, EStg.lBo; grade 2, £Stg.l6s, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.; October 29, good

quality A grade, per lb, 4/4; B grade 4/2; C grade, 3/6 to 3/9, c.i.f., Sydney.

Overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were re ported on October 16 as Uganda Robusta ( standard) £ 5tg.255, prompt shipment.

Other prices unavailable.

PEANUTS. P.-N.G.: Sydney agents reported Oct. 29 —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 Oct. 28 was: No. 1 RSS, Spot, 73 Vi Straits cents per lb (25.54 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported Oct. 20; White and yellow label processed, standard packs, 31/6, green label 30/9, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.); Prices until May 1, 1965—P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 lb bags, £59/10/- per ton, f.o.w.

Vitamised and enriched white, 112 lb bags, £65/15/- f.o.w. Other Pac. Islands: Dry, white or brown, etc., £6B/-/- (any quantity), f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne.

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Aus tralian M.O.P. Shell on October 29 by Sydney independent shell agents were; Sound £B5O, D £625, E £335, EE £235 (in store Sydney). Cook Islands: Penrhyn £NZ42S (approx.), f.0.b., Raro tonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers on Oct. 29 indicated the following quotations to Islands producers: No. 1 Papua nominally £9O per ton, f.0.b., Papuan ports; N.G. and 8.5.1.—£85-£9O, f.0.b., Islands ports. No. 2—Papua—£Bo- £9O per ton; N.G., 8.5.1. £75-£B5 per ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyers quoted on Oct. 29; No. 1: Ist grade only, £285 on wharf, Sydney. No. 2: £285-£295 (best quality), on wharf, Sydney: or £285-£295, f.0.b., Islands ports.

CROCODILE SKINS. —On October 29 Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, first grade quality as follows: P.-N.G.— 26/- per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, small scale (salt water); large Scale (fresh water) 14/6 per in. 8.5.1. 26/- (small scale) del. Sydney.

PAPUAN GUM: £B2/15/- f.o.b. Islands 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 processed commercial varieties.

ICEP Pty. Ltd., Sydney, are interested in offers of well prepared edible varieties.

SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offer F4/6 per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality. ICEP Pty. Ltd., Sydney, quote 6/6 to 8/6 lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, Oct. 27, Philippines, in bulk, $196.50 US (equal to £Stg.7o/10/11) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports, Malayan, FMS, NQ, UK/Nth. European ports.

NEW YORK: October 27, Philippines. $177.50 US per short ton, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports. CEYLON: 990 Rupees per ton, c.i.f.

Coconut Oil: LONDON, Oct. 27, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.ll3/10/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports. Straits, 3Vz%, NQ c.i.f.

Rubber: LONDON, Oct. 28, Malayan, Nov. shipment, c.i.f. UK, 21 5 / 8 d Stg. lb: Spot 21%d Stg. lb, February shipment 21V2d Stg. lb. (£1 Australian is equal to about 2,2 US Dollars or IOVa Rupees.)