Produce Prices
p. 113 · Read in the full issue
(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar equals $l.OO New Zealand; 98-99 cents Fiji; 110 French Pacific francs; $1.24 Western Samoa; $l.OO Tonga, 46 new pence UK).
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. Shipments are made to UK, European markets and to Australia and Japan, and coco nut oil mills on New Britain.
Latest prices, delivered main ports, were: hot-air dried, $llB per ton; FMS, $ll5 per ton; smoke-dried, $ll3 per ton.
FIJI: —The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $F120.75; 2nd grade, $F110.75;
Cas, $F90.25.
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 to Abels Ltd., NZ. Recent prices were SWSIIB for Ist grade, SWSIIB for Ist grade sun dried, and SWSIOS 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 $T95.80 ist grade, and $T83.80 2nd grade, per ton.
Per coconut 1.2 c.
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. Recent prices were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).
GILBERT AND ELLICE — 2\c per Ib (Ist grade); 2c per Ib (2nd grade).
NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on August 18 was $5B. Marseilles, 955 French francs, August 13.
COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operates NZ's copra crushing