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 —producers sell where they wish. Bulk of copra goes to crushing-mills in Suva.

Dec. 14 prices were: HAD £PS9/17/6

M £Fs7/7/6.

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 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 Copra Board subsidises the price at: First Grade £6/4/2 per ton, Second Grade £2/2/1 per ton.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Price on Dec. 18 was approximately £A4I/-/- (8.200 Pac francs), French price on Dec. 18 was 995 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 fourth quarter, Jan.-Mar., 1965, is £NZ6I/19/3 Ist grade. £NZ6O/14/3 standard grade— both f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

COCOA:—lslands prices are usually based on the rates for Ghana cocoa Dec. 19 shipment is £ Stg. 190/-/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

P.-N.G.: Sydney buyers on Dec. 21 re ported: Quote No. 1; In store, Rabaul export quality £lB3 per ton, ex-wharf Sydney, according to quality: £205- N °- 2: Best quality, on wharf Syd.’ £205, in store, N.G. ports, £lBO-£lB5 (for UK, continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—Nominal prices quoted in

Sydney, December 16, were; Grade 1, £ Stg. 175; grade 2, £Stg.l6o, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE:—P.-N.G.: December 21, good quality A grade, per lb, 4/5; B grade 4/3; C grade, 3/7 to 3/10, c.i.f., Sydney.

Overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were re ported on December 16 as: Kenya AA (Camera) £Stg.42s; Kenya A (Alfred) £Stg.43o, B £Stg.4lo, C £ Stg.4oo; Tanganyika AA £ Stg.42o, A £Stg.4os, C £ Stg.39o; Uganda Robusta (standard) £Stg.2so; Bukoba £ Stg.39o; Costa Rican £Stg.46s; Sanaani (ex-Aden) £Stg.4lo; Mattari (ex-Aden) £ Stg.42o.

PEANUTS.-P.-N.G.; Sydney agents reported Dec. 21—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 Dec. 18 was: No. 1 RSS, Spot, 69% Straits cents per lb (24.19 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported Dec. 21; White and yellow label processed, standard packs, 32/6, green label 32/6, 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.o w., Sydney or Melbourne.

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Aus tralian M.O.P. Shell on December 21 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 Dec. 21 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. £B5-£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 Dec. 21: No. 1: Ist grade only, £235 on wharf, Sydney. No. 2: £220 (best quality), on wharf, Sydney CROCODILE SKINS.—On December 21 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, quoted F 2- (4in. 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, offers 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, Dec. 17, Philippines, in bulk, $207 US (equal to £ Stg.74/3/10) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports, Malayan, 1% nominal, UK/Nth. European ports, UQ. NEW YORK: Dec. 17, Philippines, $lOB US bid per short ton, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports. CEYLON: 1,095 Rupees per ton, spot paid.

Coconut Oil; LONDON, Dec. 17, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £ Stg.llB/-/- per ton, c.i.f.’

UK/North European ports.

Rubber: LONDON, Dec. 18, Inter national 1, January shipment 20-9/16d Stg. lb; Spot 21-5/16d Stg. lb; February shipment 20 7 / 8 d Stg. lb. (£ 1 Australian is equal to about 2.2 US Dollars or 10 Vs Rupees.)