Produce Prices

otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar equals $l.OO New Zealand; 98-99 cents Fiji; 98 French Pacific francs; 80 cents Western Samoa; $l.OO Tonga; 9/3 sterling and $1.12 USA).

Copra

Copra industries are controlled through copra boards in NG, the Solomons, the GEIC, both Samoas, Fiji, Tonga and the US Trust Territory.

New Hebrides, the Cooks, French Polynesia and New Caledonia don't have boards and copra is either sold individually by growers to overseas buyers or used for local making of soap, etc.

The boards were born after World War II and their functions, which vary among terri tories, include orderly selling overseas, main taining stabilisation funds, raising government revenue and developing copra on long-term bases.

NEW GUINEA: The board, with planters' reps, directs distribution and sales and pays planters. Buyers include; Unilever, of the UK, Australia and Japan, and coconut oil and desiccated coconut mills (controlled by Car penters) on New Britain.

Feb. prices, delivered main ports, were: hot air dried, $l3O per ton; FMS, $127 per ton; smoke-dried, $125 per ton.

FIJI: —The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $F156.75; 2nd grade, SFI3B; CAS, $F 119. A scale of deductions has been estab lished for copra delivered to grading centres other than Suva.

WESTERN SAMOA:—The board makes pay ments to producers through its agents—local firms —and sells the copra on the open market with a portion of Abels Ltd., NZ. Recent prices were SWSII7 for Ist grade, SWSII7 for Ist grade sun dried, and SWSIO4 for 2nd grade.

TONGA: All copra is sold to the board which sends it to Europe and the open market. Recent prices to growers were STIO4 Ist grade and ST92 2nd grade, per ton.

SOLOMON IS.: —All production through board at prices based on Philippines rates. Output goes to the UK, Japan, Australia and the rest to the open market. Feb. prices were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLICE: Copra board pays growers $78.40 per ton and receives $143.05 per ton from overseas buyers; 2nd grade price increased from 3c to Jan.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price in Feb. was $B4 (8,400 Pac. francs).

French price was 1,210 francs per metric ton, c.i.f. Marseilles.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operates NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for Jan., Feb. and Mar. were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ171.13 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ169.04 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ167.48 standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY:—Copra Stabilisation Board pays $U5112.50 per ton, grade 1; $lOO per ton, deliveries outer islands.

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F2oc (4 in. to 7 in.) to F3oc (9 in. to 11 in.) Ib for "Sucuwalu" and "Loaloa" varieties.

Honiara. —Live slugs, over six inches, black six for 10c, other colours —12 for 10c.

CHILLIES. — SoIomons, Honiara, Tabasco, grade one, dried 22c per Ib, wet, 6c per Ib; long red, grade one, dried, 12c per lb, long red, wet, 3c per Ib.

COCOA. —Islands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Feb. 20 was £Stg.3o3/15/- per ton, c.i.f., UK Spot.

On Feb. 23, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $515 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney, $5BO. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney $5BO, in store NG ports $520 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa.— Latest price quoted in Sydney in Feb., was Ist grade, £Stg.3oo; 2nd grade, £Stg.2Bo, f.o.b. per ton.

New Hebrides.—beach, Vila, Santo, $3OO per ton.

Solomons. —s cents a Ib delivered to a fermentary, 4 cents a Ib at buying points.

COFFEE.— P-NG: On Feb. 23, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 50c per Ib; B grade 47c; C grade 44£c; X grade A7\c and native X grade 45c (ex-store Sydney).

CROCODILE SKINS. On Feb. 23, Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, Ist grade quality as follows: P-NG —s3.os per in., f.o.b. main ports, small scale (salt water); large scale (fresh water) $2.10 per in. 8.5.1., Honiara: $l.BO to $2.20 per in.; Gizo: $2.10 per in.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL. On Feb. 23 Aus tralian buyers report very little demand from Japan, Europe and the US. Price not quoted: Honiara: 5c to 6c per Ib.

PAPUAN GUM: Graded gum $lB5 per ton, f.0.b., NG ports.

PASSIONFRUIT. — Cook Islands, Islands Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2.5c per Ib for good fruit.

PEANUTS. —P-NG: Sydney agents reported Feb. 23, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels—white Spanish 17.25 c Ib.

PEARL SHELL. — Torres Strait Pearlshellers' Assn, recently quoted these prices for MOP: AA grade, $A1,260 per ton; A, $1,460; B, $2,060; C, $2,100; D, $1,260; E, $910; EE, $635 and EEE, $375 f.o.b. Thurs. Is.

Solomons. — Honiara, mother of pearl black lip 15c Ib, goldlip 20c Ib. Cook Islands.— Manihiki, 40c-46c per Ib: deliver Rarotonga, consignment 50c-56c per Ib. French Polynesia. —Tuamotu, Gambier shells, up to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM. — NG growers 17c Ib, flowers.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Mar. 31, 1970, are— P-NG: Dried brown rice, $136.00 per ton, f.o.w. Sydney. Vitamin-enriched white rice,

$150.50 per ton. Other Pacific Islands; Polished white (56 lb bags) or dried brown rice (112 lb bags), $l6l per ton, f.o.w.

RUBBER. —P-NG price is based on Singapore rates which on Feb. 22 were: Prompt nominal shipment 63i Malayan cents per lb; Mar., M 6 31 cents per lb and Apr., M64£ cents per lb (all about 20£ Aust. cents per lb).

SANDALWOOD. — New Hebrides, landed on the beach, Vila and Santo, $250 a ton.

SHARK FINS; Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers F4sc per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality.

TROCHUS. —A Sydney buyer indicated the following prices: Feb. 22 — Papua —sl6o-$l7O per ton— Honiara— slso-$ 160 per ton, f.o.b.

Islands port—direct shipment overseas—NG— sl3o-$135 per ton. European demand.

TURTLE SHELL. — BSI: First grade unmarked 60c to $1.50 a ib at Gizo.

VANILLA BEANS.— Victor Karp Tulk & Co..

Sydney, buy mainly from Tahiti for Sydney and Melbourne essence makers. Prices on Feb. 23 were; White and yellow label processed standard packs, $5.95; green label $5.85, c.i.f., Sydney. Tonga.— sl4.2o, f.0.b., Nukua lofa; $14.50, Melbourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA: LONDON, Feb. 19, Philippines, in bulk, SUS22S per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports; US Pacific coast SUS2IO per short ton.

Coconut Oil; London, Feb. 19, Ceylon,

1% in bulk, £Stg.l63/10/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

RUBBER: LONDON, Feb. 18, Spot 21 Id Stg. lb; Mar. 212 d Stg. lb; May 22gd Stg. Ib.