Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are a Australian currency. New Zealand $1 quals 5A1.24, Western Samoa $1 equals A 1.24, 8/- Sterling equals SAI; 1 pa’anga Tonga) equals SAI; 5,381 rupees Ceylon quals SAI; 98 Pac. Frs. equals SAI and U 51.125 equal SAI.)

Copra

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

P-NG Board’s purchase prices for copra slivered main ports in September were )t-air dried, $126 per ton; FMS, $123 per m; smoke-dried, $l2l per ton.

FIJI: —The Fiji Coconut Industry Board ices the prices to be paid for Fiji pra on a formula based on that for lilippines copra, and taking into account eight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, c. The copra must be graded at centres Suva. Levuka Lautoka, Savusavu and iveuni. Prices in Suva to Sept. 17 were: rade one, £F6O; grade two, £FSS/2/6 id grade three £F47/5/-. A scale of de letions has been established for copra livered to grading centres other than iva.

WESTERN SAMOA:—AII production is Id 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 e open market with a portion to Abels d. NZ. Last prices in August were fS96 for grade one, SWS9I for grade e sundried, and SWSB3 for grade two.

TONGA: All copra is sold to the Tonga pra Board which sends it to Europe d the open market.

The August prices to growers were ’104.50 first grade and STB9 second ade.