Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar (December 14) equals New Zealand, $1.0020 (buying), $0.9980 (selling): Fiji, $1.0164, 0.9989; Western Samoa, $0.8132, $0.8019, US, $1.1934, $1.1886, UK, 50.8388 np, 50.5305 np; French Pacific, 110 FP francs; Tonga $1.05.

Copra

Copra industries are controlled through copra boards in PNG, 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 locally.

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, $lOB per ton; FMS, $lO5 per ton; smoke-dried, $lO3 per ton.

FIJI:— The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $78.75, 2nd grade, $68.75, CAS, $47 . 75 .

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 Ts6o Ist grade, and Ts4B 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, $75; 2nd grade, $7l; 3rd grade, $6l 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 October 3 was $3O. Marseilles 65 French francs (per 100 kilos) November 10.

COOK IS.:— Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operate NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for October to December, packed, shipping weights f.o.b, were fixed at $NZ92.79 Ist grade, hot-air dried, $NZ90.75 Ist grade sun-dried, and $NZ89.27 standard grade. e..!501R US , T lERRII ERRIT ORY: $U592.50 (grade 1), 5U5821.50 (grade 2), $U572.50 (grade 3), de ivered district centres; $BO (grade 1), $7O (grade 2), $6O (grade 3), picked up outer islands.

Other Produce

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

Hornara,— Live slugs, over six inches, black ~s.'x for JOc, other colours—l2 for 10c.

CHILLIES. Solomons, Honiara. Tabasco grade dried, VI? pe? It" ' b; '° ng red ' grade one ' COCQA —(shntis rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on November 20 (November/ December shipment) was spot £stg33l ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent.

December 14, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality, $550 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney $637 Quote No. 2: Best quality shipment) NG P ° rtS ' $545 ( December / Ja ™ary Solomons.— 4 cents a lb delivered to a termentary, 3 cents a lb at buying points. a COF^ EE -T; PNG: october 17 > good quality, A grade, 48c per lb; B grade, A2\c, C grade 41c, Y grade, 44c (ex-store Sydney).

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

CROCODILE SKlNS. —Honiara: $1.89 to $2 25 per inch.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL. —S3SO a ton f.o.b. (nominal). f o P^ PUAN — Grac * ec * 9um $ 215 P er ton, PASSIONFRUIT.—Cook Islands, Islands Foods fruit PayS groWers NZ2 - 5c P er lb for good PAPAW. —Cook Islands, Island Foods Ltd pays growers NZ2c per lb for good fruit.

PEANUTS. PNG: Sydney agents reported recently f.0.b., Lae; Kernels—white Spanish \/.25r lb.

PEARL SHELL.— Torres Strait Pearlshellers' Assn, has no recent quotes. Solomons. — Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 14c-16c lb goldhp 18c lb. Cook Islands.— Penrhyn, 20-25 c per lb, del. Rarotonga 33-35 c per lb. French Polynesia.— Tuamotu, Gambier shells, to $1 000 per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM— NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.): — PNG: Pried brown, 25 kilo bags, $113.50 per metric tonne. Vitamin enriched white, 25 kilo bags, $125.50 per metric tonne, all f.o.w. Sydney/Melbourne.

Pacific Islands: 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 on Singapore rates which on October 27 were: No. 1 RSS (Malayan cents a kilo f.0.b.), November, 106 75- 114.00; December, 107.75-115.00; January/ March, 109.75-117.00.

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), September 5, prompt shipment, 15.86 p. (c. and f).

COPRA. —LONDON, September 19, Philippines, in bulk, SUSI4I (October reseller) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports; US Pacific coast, b SUSII3, s SUSIIS.

COCONUT OIL (Ceylon)— LONDON, September 19 £stg.9B (September/October).