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:—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, $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 copra must be graded at centres in Suva, Levuka, Lautoka, Savusavu and Taveuni. Prices in Suva to June 27 were: First grade, £FS2/2/6; second grade, £FSI/5/-; third grade £F43/7/6. 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 May, were; Ist grade, $140; 2nd grade, $136; 3rd grade, $126 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 $12.42 per ton, Second Grade $4.21 per ton.

NEW HEBRlDES:—Official price on May 20 was approximately $7O (7,000 Pac. Francs). French price in May was 880 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, Apr.-June, 1966, were £NZ67/13/11 Ist grade, £NZ66/8/ll standard grade—both f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

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

On May 25 these were approx. £Stg. 197/6/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

On May 26, Quote No. 1; In store Rabaul, export quality $412 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $460. Quote No. 2; Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $460, in store N.G. ports $416 (for UK, continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA: —Hurricane damage to crops has resulted in supplies becoming extremely scarce and they are not expected to increase until the August crop, however, nominal prices quoted in Sydney, May 25, were: Grade 1, £ 5tg.275; grade 2, £ 5tg.245 per ton, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE, P.-N.G.: May 25, good quality A grade, per lb. 43c; B grade 41c; C grade, 36c-38c, c.i.f., Sydney.

Approximate overseas f.o.b. coffee prices were reported on May 26 as: Kenya AA £ Stg.44o per ton, A £ 5tg.426, B £ Stg.39o, C £Stg.36o, PB £Stg.4oo; Bugisu AA £Stg.34o, A £Stg.336, B £Stg.33o, TT £Stg.32B; Tanganyika AA £Stg.42o, A £Stg.4oo, B £ Stg.37o, C £ Stg.3so, PB £Stg.36o; Singapore Robusta API Special - £Stg.27l, API £Stg.26l, AP2 £ 5tg.249, APIO £ 5tg.255.

PEANUTS. P.-N.G.; Sydney agents reported May 26 —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 May 25 was; June shipment 67% Straits cents per lb (19.65 c Aust.), July shipment 67% Straits cents per lb (19.65 c Aust.), prompt 67% Straits cents per lb (19.54 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported May 26: White and yellow label processed, standard packs, $4-56, green label $4.50, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.); New prices, until May, 1967, are—P.-N.G.: Dried brown rice, 112 lb bags, $l2l per ton, f.o.w. Sydney or Melbourne. Vitamin enriched white rice, 112 lb bags, $134 per ton, f.o.w. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white or dried brown rice, $142 per ton, f.o.w.

PEARL SHELL.—Quotations for Aus tralian M.O.P. Shell on May 25 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: May 26, 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: May 26, 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 May 25

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 P 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, May 24, Philippines, in bulk, SUSIB3 (equal to £Stg.6s/11/4) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. Euro pean ports, UQ. NEW YORK; May 24, Philippines, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports, nom. SUSI6O. CEYLON: Spot, 1,095 Rupees per ton.

Coconut Oil: London, May Ship

ment, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.llB per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

Rubber: London, May 25, Spot 21%D

Stg. lb; June shipment 20y8d; Sept, ship ment 20-11/16 Stg. lb.