Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar equals $l.OO New Zealand; 96 cents Fiji; 81 sene Western Samoa; $l.OO Tonga, 45.6 new pence UK. 106 French Pacific francs, 1.19 SUS.)

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 Hew Caledonia don't have boards and copra is •ifher sold individually by growers to overseas ouyers or used for local making of soap, etc.

The boards were born after World War II end 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, $lO3 per ton; FMS, $lOO per ton; smoke-dried, $9B per ton.

FIJI:—The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $F72.50; 2nd grade, $62.50, CAS, $41.50.

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: Ist quality, $84.10; 2nd quality, $70.40.

TONGA: All copra is sold to the board which sends it to Europe and the open market. Recent prices to growers were Ts7o Ist grade, and TssB 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 t 0 ] he , open market - Recent prices were: Ist grade, $65; 2nd grade, $6l; 3rd grade, $5l per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLICE—2£c per lb (Ist grade); 2c per lb (2nd grade).

NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on March 15 was $3O. Marseilles 69.50 French francs (per 100 kilos) Mar. 15.

COOK IS.:—Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operates NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for April to June, packed, shipping weights f.0.b., were fixed at 5NZ103.52 Ist grade, hot air dried, $NZ101.45. Ist grade, sun dried, and 1NZ99.88 standard grade,

Us Trust Territory: $102.50 (Grade 1),

$92.50 (grade 2), $85.50 (grade 3), delivered district centres; $9O (grade 1), $BO (grade 2), $7O (grade 3), picked up outer islands.

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co Suva, quote 45c (4 in. to 10 in.).

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

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

COCOA.—lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Mar. 21 (Jan./Mar shipment) was spot £stg 229 ton, c.i.f., UK Continent.

Mar. 21, Quote No. 1 : In store Rabaul, export quality, $385 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney, $460. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex wharf Sydney $460 (Mar./May shipment), $465 (June/July shipment); in store NG ports, $405 (Apr./May shipment), $4lO (June/July shipment).

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

COFFEE.—PNG: Mar. 21, good quality, A grade, 36c per lb; B grade, 33£c ; C grade, 31 c,- Y grade, (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa.—Recently, WSTEC ground and dried beans, 49 sene per lb (wholesale).

CROCODILE SKlNS.—Honiara: $1.89 to $2.25 per sq. in.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—S3SO a ton f.o b (nominal).

PAPUAN GUM,—Graded gum $215 per ton, f.o.b.

PASSIONFRUIT.—Cook Islands, Islands Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2.5c per lb for good fruit PAPAW.—Cook Islands, Island Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2c 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, has no recent quotes. Solomons Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 14c-16c lb, goldlip 18c lb. Cook Islands.—Penrhyn, 20-25 c per lb, del. Rarotonga 33-35 c per lb! French Polynesia.—Tuamotu, Gambier shells, to $l,OOO oer ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM—NG growers 17c lb, flowers RICE (Aust.):—PNG: Dried brown, 112 lb bags, $123 a ton, 40 lb bags, $133 a ton; vitamin enriched white, 56 lb bags, $136.50 a tx:n; all f.o.w. Sydney/Melbourne. Pacific Is lands; Calrose med. grain, white, 56 lb bags, SAI2B-SAI33 a long ton. Kulu long grain white! 56 lb bags, SAI64-SAI67 a long ton. All prices f.o.w. Sydney/Melbourne.

RUBBER—PNG prices are based on Singapore rates which on Mar. 7 were: No. 1 RSS (Malayan cents a kilo fob), Apr. 89.50-88.75; May 91-89.50.

SANDALWOOD.—New Hebrides, landed on the beach, Vila and Santo, no recent quotes.

SHARKS FINS.— Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers 75c per lb for Ist quality, 45c for mixed quality.

TROCHUS.—BSIP 4c (uncleaned), 5c (cleaned) per lb.

TURTLE SHELL— BSI: 20c to $1.20 per lb, depending on size and quality. ..,. VANILLA BEANS - Prices recently were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $7.50; green label $7.40, c.i.f., Sydney Tonga.—sT4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $T4.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

RUBBER.—London, No. 1 RSS spot (per kilo).

Mar. 14, prompt shipment, 13.72 p (c. and , fj° Pß^’i7Tks ND ?. N ' Mar - 16, Philippines, in bulk, SUSI 37 (Mar. reseller) per long ton, c.i.f,. UK/North European ports; US Pacific coast, b SUSII4, s SUSIIB.

Coconut Oil (Ceylon)—London, Mar. 16

£stgio4 (Feb./Mar. reseller).