Produce Prices

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

Copra

PAPUA-NEW GUINEA: —All production i delivered to Copra Marketing Board, jntrolled by six members, including three lanters’ representatives. The board directs Istribution and sales, and makes pay lents to the producers. Production goes lainly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) Aus ralia for local consumption, (c) crushing lill in Rabaul, and (d) Japan (surplus s available). Prices generally tally with aling rate in Philippines with premiums >r hot-air dried.

P-NG Board’s purchase prices for copra elivered main ports from March 1 were ot-air dried, $l2O per ton; FMS, $ll7 er ton; smoke-dried, $ll5 per ton.

FIJI:—The Fiji Coconut Industry Board [xes 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 Apr. 2 were; irade one, £FS4/5/-; grade two. 8F49/7/6 and grade three, £F4I/10/-. l scale of deductions has been established or copra delivered to grading centres ther than 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 £NZS6/12/6 grade one.

TONGA; All copra is sold to the Tongan Jopra Board which sends it to Europe, inder arrangement with Unilever con rolled by Philippines prices, and the rest oes on to the 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 on Mar. 17 were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 per ton, 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 $67.20 per ton for first grade.

NEW HEBRIDES: —Copra sold direct by planters to France and South America.

Official price on Mar. 17 was about $7O (7,000 Pac. Francs). French price in Mar. was 865 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, Apr., May and June, have been fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at £NZSS/5/4 Ist grade, £NZS4/0/4 standard grade—both per ton, f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

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

On Mar. 21 these were approx. £ 5tg.235 per ton, Mar.-May, c.i.f., Sydney.

On Mar. 21, Quote No. 1; In store Rabaul, export quality $485 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $530. Quote No. 2; Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $515, in store NG ports $462 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

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

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: Mar. 21, 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.

PEANUTS. —P.-N.G.: Sydney agents re ported Mar. 21, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels— white Spanish 15c lb.

RUBBER. —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rates, which on Mar. 18 were: Prompt shipment 56% Straits cents per lb, c.i.f. (16.45 c Aust.); Apr. shipment 57ya Straits cents per lb (16.57 c Aust.): May shipment 57 3 A Straits cents per lb (16.75 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, buy mainly from Tahiti for Sydney and Melbourne essence makers.

Prices on Mar. 21 were: white and yellow label processed, standard packs, $5.70, green label, $5.60, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Mar. 31, 1968, are—P.-N.G.: Dried brown rice, 112 lb bags, $l2B per ton, f.o.w. Sydney or Melbourne. Vitamin enriched white rice, 112 lb bags, $142 per ton, f.o.w. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white or dried brown rice, $142 per ton, f.o.w.

PEARL SHELL.—Latest quotations for Australian M.O.P. Shell by Sydney in dependent 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., Rarotonga.

TROCHUS. —Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: Mar. 21 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: Mar. 21, 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 Mar. 21

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., Samarai.

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, Mar. 17, Philippines, in bulk, $U5187.50 (equal to £Stg.67/l/-) per long ton, c.1.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. Euro pean ports, UQ. NEW YORK; Mar. 17.

Philippines, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports, nom. $U5167.50 per short ton. CEYLON: Spot, 1,075 Rupees per long ton.

Coconut Oil: London. Ceylon, 1%

in bulk, £Stg.lo4/10/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

Rubber: London, Mar. 18, Spot

17yad Stg. lb; Apr. shipment 17y 8 d Stg. lb: contract June shipment 17%d Stg. lb.