Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are Australian currency. New Zealand $1 uals 5A1.24, Western Samoa $1 equals 11.24, 8/- Sterling equals SAI; 1 pa’anga 'onga) equals SAI; 5,381 rupees Ceylon uals SAI; 98 Pac. Frs. equals SAI and rsi.l2s equal SAI.)

Copra

PAPUA-NEW GUINEA;—AII production delivered to Copra Marketing Board, ntrolled by six members, including three inters’ representatives. The board directs stribution and sales, and makes pay ;nts to the producers. Production goes linly to (a) Unilever, in UK, (b) Aus ilia for local consumption, (c) crushing -11 in Rabaul, and (d) Japan (surplus available). Prices generally tally with ling rate in Philippines with premiums r hot-air dried.

P-NG Board’s purchase prices for copra livered main ports in July were hot-air Led, $l2O per ton; FMS, $ll7 per ton; loke-dried, $ll5 per ton.

FIJI:—The Fiji Coconut Industry Board ;es the prices to be paid for Fiji pra on a formula based on that for ilippines copra, and taking into account ■ight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, The copra must be graded at centres Suva, Levuka. Lautoka. Savusavu and veuni. Prices in Suva to Aug. 20 were: ade one, £FS9/15/-; grade two, F54/17/6 and grade three, £F47. A lie of deductions has been established • copra delivered to grading centres ier than Suva.

WESTERN SAMOA: —All production is d to the Copra Board of Western moa at fixed prices. The Board makes yments to producers through its agents the local firms—and sells the copra on 2 open market with a portion to Abels d., NZ. Last prices in June were SWS96 • grade one and SWSB3 for grade two. rONGA: All copra is sold to the Tonga pra Board which sends it to Europe d the open market.

The July prices to growers were STIOI st grade and STB9 second grade.