Produce Prices

nless otherwise stated, quotations are Australian currency. Aust. $ equals oximately 8/- Stg., NZ, or W. Samoa; Fiji: 10/- Tonga: 5.381 Ceylon :es; 98 Pac. Frs.; 5U51.125.)

Copra

.PUA-NEW GUINEA:—AII production elivered to Copra Marketing Board, rolled by six members, including three ters’ representatives: and the board ts distribution and sales, and makes lents to the producers. Production mainly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) ralia for local consumption, (c) ling-mill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan jlus as available). Prices generally with ruling rate in Philippines, with liums for hot-air dried.

NG Board’s purchase prices for copra ered main ports from March 1 are Air Dried, $l2O per ton; PMS, $ll7 ton; Smoke-Dried, $ll5 per ton, JI: —The Fiji Coconut Industry Board the prices to be paid for Fiji i on a formula based on that for ppines copra, and taking into account ht, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, The copra must be graded at centres uva. Levuka. Lautoka. Savusavu and uni. Prices in Suva to Mar. 5 were; grade, £FS2; second grade, 7; third grade, £F3B/5/-. A scale (eductions has been established for i delivered to grading centres other Suva. 3STERN 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 y was £NZS6/12/6 first grade. )NGA: Sales are under Government :01. Part of production goes to pe, under arrangement with Unilever rolled by Philippines prices, and part o open market. iLOMON 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. Latest prices, in Jan., were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 per ton, 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 $67.20 per ton for first grade.

NEW HEBRIDES: —Official price on Dec. 20 was about $7O (7,000 Pac.

Francs). French price in Jan. was 855 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 next quarter, Jan.-Mar., have been fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at £NZSO/9/- Ist grade, £NZ49/4/standard grade—both per ton, f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

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

On Feb. 27 these were approx. £ 5tg.232/10/- per ton, Mar.-May, c.i.f., Sydney.

On Feb. 27, Quote No. 1; In store Rabaul, export quality $5OO per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $545. Quote No. 2: Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $525, in store NG ports $465 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA; —Latest prices quoted in Sydney, on Feb. 15 were: Grade 1, £ Stg.3os, grade 2, £ 5tg.277/10/- per ton, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: Feb. 24, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 40.5 c per lb; B grade 39.5 c; C grade 37.5 c, c.i.f., Sydney.

Quote No. 2, AA grade 38c per lb, f.0.b.; A 37c; B 36c; PB 35c; X 35c; Native X 34c, f.o.b.

Approximate overseas coffee prices were reported on Jan. 25 as: Uganda Robusta £Stg.237 per ton, Feb.-June, f.0.b., Mombasa; Mataari £ 5tg.435, c. and f.; Sannani £ Stg.4ls, c. and f.; Hodeida No. 1 £Stg.39s; Indonesian Robusta, API Special £Stg.262, API £ Stg.2so, AP2 £Stg.226, APIO £ 5tg.236 per ton, c. and f.

PEANUTS. —P.-N.G.: Sydney agents re ported Jan. 24, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels— white Spanish 15c lb.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Feb. 24 was: Prompt shipment 55% Straits cents per lb, c.i.f. (17.49 c Aust.); Mar. shipment 55% Straits cents per lb (16.59 c Aust.); Apr. shipment 56 Vs Straits cents per lb (16.83 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported on Jan. 24: Prices are: white and yellow label processed, standard packs, $5.30, green label, $5.20, 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 Jan 24 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; Jan. 24 Papua $l6O-$lBO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—5150-$l7O per ton, f.o.b.

Islands ports.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL. —Sydney buyeri quoted: Feb. 24, 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 Jan. 24

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 $lB5 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, Feb. 23, Philippines, in bulk, SUSIB9 (equal to £Stg.66/3/-) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. Euro pean ports, UQ. NEW YORK: Feb. 23, Philippines, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports, nom. $U5167.50 per short ton. CEYLON: Spot, 1,055 Rupees per long ton.

Coconut Oil: London, Ceylon, 1%

in bulk, £Stg.lo7 per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports.

Rubber: London, Jan. 20, Spot

18Vad Stg. lb; Feb. shipment 17-11/16d Stg. lb; Apr. shipment 18V2d Stg. lb.