Produce Prices
p. 116 · Read in the full issue
(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar (March 22) equals New Zealand, 51.0689 (buying), $1.0644 (selling): Fiji $1.1526 (buying), West ern Samoa, unavailable; US, $1.4191, $1.4143; UK, 57.5672 np, 57.1722 np; French Pacific, 117.32 (buying) FP francs; Tonga unavailable.
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, $127 per ton; FMS, $124 per ton; smoke-dried, $122 per ton.
F|j| : —The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $120.50; 2nd grade, $110.50, CAS, $90.50.
WESTERN SAMOA: The board makes pay ments to producers through its agents—local fj rms —and sells the copra on the open market with a portion to Abels Ltd., NZ. Recent prices per ton fob: Ist quality, $89.78; 2nd quality, $75.78.
TONGA; All copra is sold to the board which sends it to Europe and the open market. Recent prices to growers were T 578.95 Ist grade, and T 566.95 2nd grade, per ton.
Per coconut 1.3 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 ooen market. Recent prices were: Ist grade, $9O, 2nd grade $B6; 3rd grade, $76 per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).
GILBERT AND ELLICE— 2c per lb (Ist grade); Uc per lb (2nd grade).
NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on February 27 was $55 Marseilles 91 French francs (per 100 kilos) March 9.
COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland v.-ho operate NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for January to MarchP ac , k ®J shipping weights f.o.b. were fixed at $NZ95.76 Ist grade, hot-air dried, $NZ93.79 Ist grade, sun-dried, and $NZ92.35 standard grade.
Us Trust Territory: $U592.50 (Grade 1),
5U582.50 (grade 2), 5U572.50 (grade 3), de livered 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 60c Fijian per lb. (4 in. to 10 m.).
Honiara.— Live slugs, over six inches black —six for 10c other co'ours—l2 for 10c.
CHILLIES. —Solomons, Honiara, long red dried 12 cents per lb.. Tabasco 22 cents per lb. first grade.
COCOA.— lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Mar. 21 (Mar./May) shipment) was spot £stg 386.00 ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent. „ , March 21, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality, $575 per ton delivered ex wharf Sydney $650. Quote No. 2: Best quality ,in store NG ports, $575 (Mar./June) shipment.
Solomons.—Delivered to Agriculture Dept, offices in Honiara and Auki 18 cents per lb. dry beans. In Gizo (Western District) the co-op, buys at 10 to 12 cents per lb., depending or quality, followed by a bonus.
COFFEE. —PNG: March 20, good quality, A gr.de, per lb; B grade, 46£c, C grade 44ic, Y grade, 45£c (ex-store Sydney).
W. Samoa. —Recently, WSTtC ground am dried beans, 49 sene per lb (wholesale).
CROCODILE SKlNS.— Honiara: $1.89 to $2.2! per inch. „ GREEN SNAIL SHELL.— I 3-14 cents per lb.
PAPUAN GUM. —Graded gum $215 per ton f °PASSIONFRUIT.—Cook Islands, Islands Food Ltd. pays growers NZ2.5c per lb for god PAPAW. —Cook Islands, Island Foods Ltd pays growers NZ2c per lb for good fruit.
PEANUTS PNG: Sydney agents reporte recently f.0.b., Lae,- Kernels—white Spanis ' 7 p 2 £ARL b SHELL.— Torres Strait Pearlshellen Assn, has no recent quotes. Solomons.- Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 15c It Cook Islands.— Penrhyn, 20-25 c per lb. .de Rarotonga 33-35 c per lb. French Polynesia.- Tuamotu, Gambier shells, to $l,OOO per toi Papeete PYRETHRUM— NG growers 17c lb, flowers.
RICE (Aust.): — PNG: Dried brown, 25 ki bags, $113.50 per metric ton "% V]* 3 ™ enriched white/ 25 kilo bacjS/ $125.50 P* metric tonne! 6 ' all f.o.w. Sydney/Melbounr Pacific Islands: Calrose med. gram, white, lb bags, SAI2B-SAI33 a long tori. Kulu o grain white, 56 lb bags, SAI<W-SAI67 a o ton. All prices f.o.w. Sydney/Melbourne RUBBER.— PNG prices are based on Singapo rates which on Feb 22 were: No. 1 R. (Malayan cents a kilo f.0.b.), Marc L ]iyZ 127.75- April, 136.50-128.75; May, 137.0 129 50; June, 136.50-129.00. ... fl SANDALWOOD. —New Hebrides, landed on ti beach, Vila and Santo, $lBO per ton ' “sH&RKsVINS. Chang Sing Loong C( Suva, offers 75c per lb for Ist quality, 4 for mixed quality.
TROCHUS —BSIP 7-10 cents per lb.
TURTLE SHELL.— BSI: No. market- at presa.
VANILLA BEANS. Prices recently wer White and yellow label processed standa oacks, $7.50- green label $7.40, c.i.f., Sydn Tonga.—sT4.2o. f.0.b., Nukualofa; 5T4.50, iw bourne.
Uk, Us Quotes
COPRA —LONDON, Mar. 9, Philippines, bulk, $U5216.80 per long ton, c.i.f.
Fiji gold-seekers
Two US mining companies, Get Oil Development Co Ltd, of L
Angeles, and Phelps Dodge Exploi
tion Inc, of New York, have join Emperor Gold Mining Co in Eiji look for copper, zinc and P. recl< ;
metals at Colo-i-Suva, straddling t
Suva-Sawani Road.
Emperor, which operates Vai
koula on the other side of Viti Le from Suva, has long had a link w Colo-i-Suva. It was there that t late Mr E. G. Theodore, one of i founders of the Vatukoula operatic established a Suva home, Vumkaw which later became a holiday hoc for staff from the Vatukoula mines