Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar (May 17) equals New Zealand, $1.0689 (buying), $1.0644 (selling); Fiji $1.1079 (buying), West ern Samoa, T 0.8754 (buying); US, $1.4191, $1.4143; UK, 55.4816 np, 55.1146 np; French Pacific, 115.94 (buying) FP francs; Tonga un available.

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.

FIJI:—The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $146.25; 2nd grade, $136.25; CAS, $115.25.

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 per ton fob: Ist quality, $100; 2nd quality, $B6.

TONGA: All copra is sold to the board which sends it to Europe and the open market. Recent prices to growers were T 5107.20 Ist grade, and T 595.20 2nd grade, per ton.

Per coconut 1.2 seniti.

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, $105; 2nd grade. $101; 3rd grade, $9l per ton at BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

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

NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on May 8 was $BO. Marseilles 125 French francs (per 100 kilos) May 11.

COOK IS.:—Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland who operate NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for April to June, packed shipping weights f.o.b. were fixed at $NZ129.80 Ist grade, hot-air dried, $NZ127.91 Ist grade, sun-dried, and $NZ126.49 standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY: SUS 102.50 (grade 1), SUS 92.50 (grade 2), SUS 82.50 (grade 3), de livered district centres; $90.00 (grade 1), $BO.OO (grade 2), $70.00 (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 in.).

Honiara. —Best price paid is $1 per lb dried, for Ist grade; 70 cents per lb for 2nd grade.

CHILLIES.— SoIomons, Honiara, long red dried 12 cents per lb.. Tabasco 22 cents per lb. first grade.

COCOA. —Islands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on May 17 (Mar./May) shipment) was spot £stg 565.00 ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent.

May 17: In store Rabaul, export quality, $BBO per ton delivered ex wharf Sydney $940.

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 on quality, followed by a bonus.

COFFEE.—PNG: Good quality, A grade, 48£c per lb; B grade, 45£c, C grade, 44£c, Y grade, 43£c (ex-store Sydney). »V. iamoa.—Recently, WSTEC ground and dried beans, 49 sene per lb (wholesale).

CROCODILE SKlNS.—Honiara: $1.89 to $2.25 per inch.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—I 3-14 cents per lb.

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

PASS lON FRUIT.—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. PNG: 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 15c lb, Cook Islands.—Penrhyn, 20-25 c per lb. del.

Rarotonga 33-35 c per lb. French Polynesia.— Tuamotu, Gambier shells, to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete. Fiji.—3sc per lb.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.):—PNG: Dried brown, 25 kilo bags, $128.00 per metric tonne. Vitamin enriched white, 25 kilo bags, $141.50 per metric tonne, all f.o.w. Sydney/Melbourne.

Pacific Islands: Calrose med. grain, white, 56 lb bags, $l7O a metric tonne. Kulu long grain white, 56 l|b bags, $lB5 a metric tonne.

All prices f.o.w. Sydney/Melbourne.

RUBBER. —PNG prices are based on Singapore rates which on May 3 were: No. 1 RSS (Malayan cents a kilo f.0.b.). May, 135.25- 128.75; June, 132.50-126.75; July, 131.25- 126.00.

SANDALWOOD. —New Hebrides, landed on the beach, Vila and Santo, $lBO per ton "on consignment".

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

TROCHUS.—BSIP 7-10 cents per lb. Fiji 8-9 cents per lb.

TURTLE SHELL.—BSI: No market at present.

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

COPRA.—LONDON, May 4, Philippines, in bulk, $U5309.25 per long ton, c.i.f.