Produce Prices

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

Copra

PAPUA-NEW GUINEA:—AII production i delivered to Copra Marketing Board, ontrolled by six members, including three lanters’ representatives; and the board irects distribution and sales, and makes ayments to the producers. Production oes mainly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) .ustralia for local consumption, (c) rushing-mill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan surplus as available). Prices generally illy with ruling rate in Philippines, with remiums for hot-air dried.

P-NG Board’s tentative purchase rices for copra delivered main ports are: [ot-Air Dried, $143 per ton; FMS, $l4O er ton; Smoke-Dried, $138.98 per ton.

FIJI:—The Fiji Coconut Industry Board ixes the prices to be paid for Fiji opra on a formula based on that for hilippines copra, and taking into account reight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, tc. The copra must be graded at centres i Suva, Levuka, Lautoka, Savusavu and 'aveuni. Prices in Suva to Oct. 16 were; irst grade, £FSI/15/-; second grade, iF4B/17/6; third grade, £F39. A scale f deductions has been established for opra delivered to grading centres other ban Suva.

WESTERN SAMOA: Official Copra loard takes all production, sells same nd makes payments to producers. It oes mainly to Abels Ltd., NZ crushers, nd the open market. Local price re ently was £56/12/6 Samoan, first grade.

TONGA; Sales are under Government ontrol. Part of production goes to lurope, under arrangement with Unilever ontrolled by Philippines prices, and part n 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 Sept., were; Ist grade, $130; 2nd grade, $126; 3rd grade, $ll6 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 $29.36 per ton. Second Grade $18.16 per ton.

NEW HEBRlDES:—Official price on Sept. 7 was approximately $72 (7,200 Pac. Francs). French price in Sept, was 835 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 last quarter, Oct.-Dec., 1966, were £NZS6/6/l Ist grade, £NZSS/1/1 standard grade— both per ton, f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

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

On Sept. 23 these were approx. £ Stg. 187/10/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

On Sept. 26, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $365 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $412. Quote No. 2; Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $430, in store N.G. ports $377-$384 (for UK, continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA: —Current prices quoted in Sydney, on Sept. 7 were; Grade 1, £ Stg.29o; grade 2, £ 5tg.256/10/- per ton, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE. —P.-N.G.: Sept. 26, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 40c per lb; B grade 38c; C grade 35c. c.i.f., Sydney.

Quote No. 2, A grade 43c per lb; Plantation X 39c; Native X 37c, c.i.f., Sydney.

Approximate overseas f.o.b. coffee prices were reported on September 15 as: Uganda Robusta (Std. Grade) £ Stg.24o per ton, f.0.b., Mombasa, Oct.-Dec.; Spread shipment £ 5tg.236 per ton, f.0.b.; B.H.P. type, average quality, Oct., £ Stg.2ls. Arabian, Ethopian and Sumatran coffees were unquoted.

PEANUTS. —P.-N.G.: Sydney agents re ported Sept. 26, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels— white Spanish 15c lb.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Sept. 22 was: Oct. shipment 58% Straits cents per lb, c.i.f. (17.04 c Aust.); Prompt, nom. 58V2 Straits cents per lb (16.97 c Aust.); Nov. shipment 59% Straits cents per lb (17.33 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported on Sept. 26: Prices are; white and yellow label processed, standard packs, $5.40, green label, $5.30, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): 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 Sept. 26 by Sydney independent shell agents were: Sound $1,650 per ton, D $l,lBO, E $670, EE $470 (in store Sydney). Cook Islands: Penrhyn £NZ32O (approx.), f.0.b., Raro tonga.

TROCHUS. —Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: Sept. 26 Papua $l6O-$lBO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—5150-$l7O per ton, f.o.b.

Islands ports.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyers quoted: Sept. 26, No. 1, Ist grade, $490, f.o.b. Islands ports, 2nd grade, nom., $240 on wharf, Sydney. No. 2, $440 (best quality), on wharf, Sydney.

Crocodile Skins. On Sept. 26

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: $l9O per ton, del.

Sydney; New Guinea graded gum $2lO per ton, f.0.b., New Guinea ports.

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F 2- (4 in. 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, Sept. 23, Philippines, in bulk, SUSI 74 (equal to £Stg.62/7/2) per long ton, c.1.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. Euro pean ports, UQ. NEW YORK: Sept. 23 Philippines, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports nom. SUSISB. CEYLON: Spot, 900 Rupees per ton.

Coconut Oil: London, Sept.-Oct.

shipment, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.lo3 per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

Rubber: London, Sept. 26, Spot

17-15/16d Stg. lb; Oct. shipment 17%d Stg. lb; Dec. shipment 18-9/16d Stg. lb.