Produce Prices

fnless otherwise stated, quotations are instralian currency. Aust. £ equals ■oximately 16/- Stg., NZ, or W. oa: 18/- Fiji; 20/- Tonga, Solomons 7PHC areas; 196 Pac. Frs.; SUS2.25.)

Copra

LPUA-NEW GUINEA:—All production lelivered to Copra Marketing Board, rolled by six members, including three ters’ representatives; and the Board •ts distribution and sales, and makes nents to the producers. Production mainly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) xalia for local consumption, (c) hing-mill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan plus as available). Prices generally with ruling rate in Philippines, with liums for hot-air dried.

NG Board’s Tentative Purchase es for Copra delivered main ports are: ■Air Dried, £71/10/- per ton; FMS, i per ton: Smoke-Dried, £69/9/9 per JI No Government control—pro rs sell where they wish. Bulk of a goes to crushing-mills in Suva. 25 prices were; HAD £F61/12/6, £F59/2/6.

ESTERN SAMOA: — Official Copra •d takes all production, sells same makes payments to producers. It mainly to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers, the open market. Local price re ly was £56/12/6 Samoan, first grade. 5NGA; Sales are under Government rol. Part of production goes to ipe, under arrangement with Unilever rolled by Philippines prices, and part ;o open market. )LOMON IS.: All production marketed ugh official BSI Copra Board, at ;s based on Philippines rate. Output to Unilever, UK; to Australian hers; and the balance on to the open ket. These prices, in Oct., were; 1st le, £70; 2nd grade, £68; 3rd grade, 1 per ton, f.o.b., BSIP ports (Honiara, dina and Gizo). [LBERT AND ELLICE: —Production keted in Europe through official Copra :d, at prices based on Philippines s less freight, etc. The Copra Board idises the price at: First Grade 4/2 per ton, Second Grade £2/2/1 ton.

EW HEBRIDES: —Price in Oct. was roximately £A45 (9,000 Pac. francs), ich price on Oct. 22 was 1,040 francs metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles.

DOK IS.:—Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., Auckland, who operate the only NZ a crushing mill. Price paid is average Ion price for previous three months, handling charges. Prices for last rter, Oct.-Dec.. 1965, are £NZ75/6/ll grade, £NZ74/1/11 standard grade— i f.o.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

OCOA: —Islands prices are usually id on the rates for Ghana cocoa.

Oct. 26 these were approx. £ Stg. 140 ton, c.i.f., Sydney. n Oct. 26, Quote No. 1: In store aul, export quality £122 per ton, ex ,rf Sydney, £150. Quote No. 2: Best lity, on wharf Sydney, £135-£145, in e N.G. ports £109-£135 (for UK, tinent and USA shipments). . SAMOA; —Nominal prices quoted in ney, Oct. 26, were; Grade 1, £Stg.l97; le 2, £Stg.l50, f.o.b., Apia.

OFFEE. — P.-N.G.: Oct. 26, good lity A grade, per lb. 4/3B grade

4/2; C grade, 3/6 V 2 to 3/9 V 2, c.i.f., Sydney.

Approximate overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were reported on Oct. 20 as: Kenya AA £Stg.4ss, A £Stg.44o, B £ 5tg.425, C £Stg.4ls, TT £Stg.4ls; Tanganyika AA £ Stg.4so, A £ Stg.43o, B £ Stg.42o, C £Stg.4lo, TT £Stg.4lo; Uganda Native Robusta (Ugnat) £ Stg.3o9, Prefect £Stg.3l4; Bukoba Robusta (Bunat) £ Stg.3o9, Monitor £Stg.3l4.

PEANUTS. P.-N.G.: Sydney agents reported Oct. 26—f.0.b., Lae; Kernels white Spanish 1/7Va lb.; Virginia bunch 1/9 Va lb.

RUBBER. —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Oct. 25 was; Nov. shipment 65 Va Straits cents per lb (22.71 d Aust.), Dec. shipment 65% Straits cents per lb (22.93 d Aust.), prompt 64Va Straits cents per lb (29.49 d Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported Oct. 26: White and yellow label processed, standard packs, 51/-, green label 50/-, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices settled in Sept, were—p.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 lb bags, £5B/10/- per ton, f.o.w.

Vitamised and enriched white, 112 lb bags, £65 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 Oct. 26 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 indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers; Sept. 23, No. I—Papua— nominally £9O per ton, f.0.b., Papuan ports; N.G. and 8.5.1.—£85-£9O, f.0.b..

Islands ports. Oct. 26, No. 2 —Papua— £BO-£9O per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—£75-£B5 per ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL. —Sydney buyers quoted: Sept. 23, No. 1, Ist grade only, £235 on wharf, Sydney. Oct. 26, No. 2. £220 (best quality), on wharf, Sydney.

Crocodile Skins. On Oct. 26

Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, first grade quality as follows; P.-N.G.— 28/- per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, small scale (salt water); large scale (fresh water) 17/- per in. 8.5.1. 28/- (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., 22 Taylor St., North Curl Curl, Sydney, quote 6/6 to 8/6 lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, Oct. 25, Philippines, in bulk, $2lB US (equal to £Stg.77/15/6) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. Euro pean ports, UQ. NEW YORK: Oct. 25, Philippines, $l9O US c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports. CEYLON; 1,090 Rupees per ton, f.o.b.

Coconut Oil: London, Oct. Ship

ment, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £ Stg.l2o.

Rubber: London, Oct. 26. Nov.

shipment c.i.f., 19-3/16d Stg. lb; Spot 19%d Stg. lb; Jan. shipment 19-11/16d Stg. lb. ( £1 Australian is equal to about 2.2 US dollars or 10Va rupees.)