Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in kustralian currency. Australian dollar equals 11.00 New Zealand; 98-99 cents Fiji; 110 reach Pacific francs; $1.24 Western Samoa; 11.00 Tanga; 9/3 sterling and $l.ll USA).

Copra

Copra industries are controlled through copra wards in NG, the Solomons, the GEIC, both lamoas, Fiji, Tonga and the US Trust Territory, law Hebrides, the Cooks, French Polynesia and lew Caledonia don't have boards and copra is dther sold individually by growers to overseas tuyers or used for local making of soap, etc.

The boards were born after World War II md their functions, which vary among terri ories, include orderly selling overseas, main aining stabilisation funds, raising government avenue and developing copra on long-term lases.

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

October prices, delivered main ports, were: wt-air dried, $l3l per ton; FMS, $l2B per on; smoke-dried, $126 per ton.

FIJI: —The board fixes prices on Philippines opra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling osts, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: st grade, $F137.25; 2nd grade, $F127.25; CAS, 1F108.25.

WESTERN SAMOA: The board makes pay lents to producers through its agents—local irms—and sells the copra on the open market vith a portion to Abels Ltd., NZ. Recent rices were SWSIIB for Ist grade, SWSIIB for st grade sun dried, and SWSIOS for 2nd rade.

TONGA: All copra is sold to the board irhich sends it to Europe and the open riarket. October prices to growers were 1T93.80 Ist grade and STBI.BO 2nd grade, ier ton. Per coconut, 1.7 sen.

SOLOMON IS.:—All production through board t prices based on Philippines rates. Output toes to the UK, Japan, Australia and the rest

to the open market. Recent prices were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLICE:—Board pays growers $78.40 per ton and receives $143.05 per ton overseas; 2nd grade price 3£c per lb.

NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on Sept. 29 was $75 (7,500 Pac. francs).

Marseilles, 1,150 J francs, Oct. 16.

COOK IS.; —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operates NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for October 1 to December 31 were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ173.38 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ171.30 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ169.73 standard grade.

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

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F3sc (4 in. to 7 in.) to F4oc (9 in. to 11 in.) lb depending on quality.

Honiara. —Live slugs, over six inches, black six for 10c, other colours—l2 for 10c.

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

COCOA. —Islands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Oct. 22 was £312/0/6 per 50 kilos, c.i.f., UK Continent Spot.

October, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $570 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney $630. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney $625, in store NG ports $570 (for immediate UK, Continent and USA ship ments).

Forward prices: Jan.-Mar., $575; Mar.-Apr., $580; June-Aug., $585 (all in store, NG ports).

W. Samoa.—Nominal quotation for Oct. 8 was Ist grade, £Stg.27o; 2nd grade, £Stg.2so, f.o.b. per ton.

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

Solomons.—4 cents a lb delivered to a fermentary, 3 cents a lb at buying points.

COFFEE.—P-NG: Late Oct., Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 49£c per lb; B grade 47c; C grade 45c; X grade 47c and native X grade 45\c (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa. —Mid-Sept. W. STEC ground and dried beans, 49 sene per lb (wholesale).

CROCODILE SKINS. Recent 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. $350-$4Oo A Ton,

f.o.b.

PAPUAN GUM: Graded gum $195 per ton, f.0.b., NG ports.

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

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

PEARL SHELL.—Torres Strait Pearlshellers' Assn, recently quoted these prices for MOP: AA grade, $A1,260 per ton; A, $1,460; 8, $2,060; C, $2,100; D, $1,260; E, $910; EE, $635 and EEE, $375, f.0.b., Thurs. Is.

Solomons.—Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 15c lb, goldlip 20c lb. Cook Islands.—Manihiki,

40c-46s per lb: delivered Rarotonga, 50c-56c per lb. French Pelynesle.— Tuamotu, Gambter shells, to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.); Prices, until Mar. 31, 1971, are—p.NG: Dried brown rice, $132 per ton, f.o.w. Sydney. Vitamin-enriched white rice, $146.50 per ton. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white (56 lb bags) or dried brown rice (112 lb bags), $156 per ton, f.o.w, RUBBER.—P-NG price is based on Singapore rates which on Oct. 20 were: No. 1 RSS prompt nominal shipment (Malayan cents per lb) b 46i, s 462; Nov. b 49£, s 49§; Dec. b 472, s 48.

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

SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers 55c per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality.

TROCHUS— Oct. 23—Papua—$180-$ 190 per ton—Honiara—A good market, prices being 3c to 4c per pound—NG—slso-$l6O per ton —Hebrides—sloo per ton—US Territory—World Trading, Hong Kong, after sellers.

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

VANILLA BEANS—Prices recently were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $7.60; green label $7.50, c.i.f., Sydney.

Tonga.—sT4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $T4.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA: LONDON, Oct. 21, Philippines, in bulk, SUS 222 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports; US Pacific coast SUSI7S, buyer, SUSI9O, seller.

COCONUT OIL; LONDON, October prices un quoted.

RUBBER: LONDON, Oct. 20, No. 1 RSS, Spot (per lb) b 18R s 18£d; Jan., b 182 d, s 19-l/16d; Nov., b 16? d, s 17-l/16d.