Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Aust. $ equals approximately 8/- Stg., NZ, or W. Samoa; 9/- Fiji; 10/- Tonga; 5.381 Ceylon Rupees: 98 Pac. Frs.; 5U51.125.)

Copra

PAPUA-NEW GUINEA; —All 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, $143 per ton; FMS, $l4O per ton; Smoke-Dried, $138.98 per ton.

FIJI;—The Fiji Coconut Industry Board fixes the prices to be paid for Fiji copra on a formula based on that for Philippines copra, and taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. The coora must be graded at centres in Suva. Levuka, Lautoka, Savusavu and Taveuni. March prices in Suva were: First grade, £F67/2/6: second grade, £ F62/5 -: third grade, £FS6/7/6. A scale of deductions has been established for copra delivered to grading centres other than Suva.

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. Prices, in Feb., were: Ist grade, $160: 2nd grade, $156; 3rd grade, $146 per ton. f.0.b., BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo».

GILBERT AND ELLICE: —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 $12.42 per ton, Second Grade $4.21 per ton.

NEW HEBRIDES: —Official price on Mar. 21 was approximately $7B (7,800 Pac. Francs). French price in Mar. was 955 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 first quarter, Jan.-Mar., 1966, were £NZ67/0/4 Ist grade. £NZ6S/15/4 standard grade— both f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

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

On Mar. 30 these were approx. £ Stg. 185 per ton, c.i.L, Sydney.

On Mar. 30, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul. export quality $3BO per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $420. Quote No. 2: Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $430, in store

N.G. ports $374 (for UK, continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—There were few actual transactions in March, however, nominal prices quoted in Sydney, Mar. 30, were: Grade 1, £Stg.27s; grade 2, £ Stg.23o, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE. P.-N.G.: Mar. 30, good quality A grade, per lb. 43c; B grade 42c; C grade, 36c-38c, c.i.f., Sydney.

Approximate overseas c.i.f. coffee prices were reported on February 25 as: Kenya A £ Stg.39o per ton, B £ Stg.3Bo: Tanganyika A £Stg.3Bs, B £Stg.36B; Uganda Robusta (standard i £ 5tg.265 (export quota unavailable); Mataari £ Stg.43o; Sannani £ Stg.4ls; Harrari £Stg.37o; Hodeidah £Stg.39o; Singapore Robusta API Special £ Stg.27l, API £ Stg.26l, AP2 £Stg.24l.

PEANUTS. P.-N.G.; Sydney agents reported Mar. 30—f.0.b., Lae; Kernels- — white Spanish 17c lb.; Virginia bunch 18c lb.

RUBBER. —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Mar. 28 was: Apr. shipment 6914 Straits cents per lb (20.40 c Aust.), May shipment 69% Straits cents per lb (20.51 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co.. Sydney, reported Mar. 30: White and yellow label processed, standard packs, $5.25, green label $5.15, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.); Prices until May, 1966, are—P.-N.G.: Dry brown and dressed, 112 lb bags, $ll7 per ton, f.o.w.

Vitamised and enriched white, 112 lb bags, $l3O f.o.w. Other Pac. Islands: Dry, white or brown, etc., $136 (any quantity), f.0.w., Sydney or Melbourne.

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Aus tralian M.O.P. Shell on Mar. 30 by Sydney independent shell agents were: Sound $1,650 per ton, D $l,lBO, E $670, EE $470 (in store Sydney). Cook Islands: Penrhyn £NZ4OO (approx.), f.0.b., Raro tonga.

TROCHUS. —Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: Mar, 30, Quote No. 1, nominally $l4O per ton, f.0.b., Islands ports. No. 2 —Papua—sl6o-$lBO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1. —slso-$l7O per ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL. —Sydney buyers quoted: Mar. 30, No. 1, Ist grade, $470 per ton on wharf, Sydney, 2nd grade, $240 on wharf, Sydney. No. 2, $440 (best quality), on wharf, Sydney.

Crocodile Skins. On Mar. 30

Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, first grade quality as follows: P.-N.G.— $2.90 per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, small scale (salt water); large scale (fresh water) $l.BO per in. 8.5.1. $2.90 (small scale) del. Sydney.

PAPUAN GUM: $165.50 per ton, f.o.b.

Islands port, $l9O del. Sydney or Mel bourne.

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 65c to 85c lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, Mar. 30, Philippines, in bulk, SUSI 93 (equal to £ Stg.69/1/8) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. Euro pean ports, UQ. NEW YORK: Mar. 30, Philippines, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports,

Nom. Susi7O. Ceylon: Spot, Uq.

Coconut Oil: London, Mar. Ship

ment, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.ll9 per ton.

Rubber: London, Mar. 28, Spot 20%D

Stg. lb; Apr. shipment 20%d; June ship ment 21d Stg. lb.