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.

Apr. 26 prices were: HAD £F77/2/6, M £F74/12/6.

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. These prices, fixed in March, will remain stable for six months from that date. Ist grade, £64/-/-; 2nd grade, £62/-/-; 3rd grade, £57/-/- 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 Apr. 13 was approximately £ASO/-/- (10,000 Pac. francs). French price on Apr. 14 was 1,215 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, April-June, 1965, are £NZ6B/4/3 Ist grade, £NZ66/19/3 standard grade— both f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

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

May-June shipment is £ Stg.l2s/-/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

P.-N.G.: Sydney buyers on Apr. 29 re ported: Quote No. 1: In store, Rabaul, export quality £l3O per ton, ex-wharf Sydney, according to quality: £150; quote No. 2: Best quality, on wharf Syd., £l5O, in store, N.G. ports £l2O-£125 (for UK, continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—Nominal prices quoted in

Sydney, April 28, were: Grade 1, £ Stg.2lo/-/-; grade 2, £Stg.lBo/-/-| f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE;— PNG.: April 27, 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 April 28 as: Kenya AA £ 5tg.395, A £Stg.39o, B £Stg.3B7, C £Stg.372; Tanganyika AA £ 5tg.392, A £Stg.3B7, B £Stg.377, C £ Stg.37o; Uganda Robusta (standard) f.a.q. £Stg.2o4; Bukoba cleaned and washed £Stg.377; Mataari £Stg.42o - £ Stg.4lo.

PEANUTS. P.-N.G.: Sydney agents reported Apr. 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 Apr. 27 was: No. 1 RSS, Spot, 74 Straits cents per lb (24.81 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported Apr. 29: White and yellow label processed, standard packs, 42/-, green label 40/-, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices until May 1, 1965 (new prices likely to be delayed pending negotiations) 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 April 27 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 Apr. 27 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 Apr. 27: No. 1: Ist grade only, £235 on wharf, Sydney. No. 2: £220 (best quality), on wharf, Sydney.

Crocodile Skins.—On April 27

Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, first grade quality as follows: P.-N.G.— 24 - per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, small scale (salt water); large scale (fresh water) 14/6 per in. 8.5.1. 24/- (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.

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, Mar. 25, Philippines, in bulk, $277 US (equal to £ Stg.9B/19/7) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% nominal c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, UQ. NEW YORK: Apr. 27, Philippines, $235 US c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports.

CEYLON: 1,415 Rupees per ton, f.o.b.

Coconut Oil: London, Apr. 27,

Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £ Stg. 153.

Rubber: London, Apr. 27, May

shipment 21 7 / 8 d Stg. lb; Spot nominal 22 %d Stg. lb; August shipment 22ysd Stg. lb. (£ 1 Australian is equal to about 2.2 US Dollars or lOV2 Rupees.)