Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar (Sep tember 17) equals New Zealand, $1.0094 (buying), $1.0054 (selling); Fiji $1.1715 (buying), Western Samoa. T 0.9093 (buying); US, $1.4900, $1.4850, UK, 61.7856 np, 61.3308 no; French Pacific 116.73 (buying), 114.95 (selling) 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 per metric tonne, delivered main ports, were: hot-air dried, $200; FMS, $197; smoke-dried, $195.

FIJI: —The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $258.50; 2nd grade, $248.50; CAS, $227.25.

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, $123.50; 2nd quality, $109.50.

TONGA: All copra is sold to the board which sends it to Europe and the open market. Recent prices to growers were T 5198.40 Ist grade, and T 5186.40 2nd grade, per ton.

Per coconut 2.5 seniti.

SOLOMON IS.: —All production through board at prices based on Philippines rates. Output ooes to the UK, Japan, Australia and the rest to the open market. Recent prices were; hot air-dried, $165; smoke-dried, $l5l per ton at BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLICE— 3c per lb (Ist grade); 2c per lb (2nd grade).

NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on August 30 was $9O. Marseilles 134 French francs (per 100 kilos) September 7.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operate NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for July to September, packed shipping weights f.o.b. were fixed at $NZ177.09 Ist grade, hot-air dried, $NZ175.27 Ist grade, sun-dried, and $NZ173.90 standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY: Price per short ton SUS 112.50 (grade 1), SUS 102.50 (grade 2), SUS 92.50 (grade 3), delivered district centres; $lOO.OO (grade 1), $90.00 (grade 2), $BO.OO (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 $ for 2nd grade.

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

'Bird's eye' (under in.) sun-dried, FAQ Grade Raba Raba, up to 30 cents per lb (Eastern Papua). Other grades are Long and U/FAQ 15-19 cents per lb.

COCOA. —Islands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on September 17 (July/Sep tember shipment) was spot £stg 677 ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent.

September 18. In store Rabaul, export quality, $B9O per ton delivered ex wharf Sydney $9BO.

Solomons. —Delivered to Agriculture Dept, offices in Honiara and Auki 25 cents per lb. dried beans first grade, 20 cents second grade.

COFFEE.—PNG: Good quality, A grade, 45c per lb; B grade, 42c, C grade, 40£c, Y grade, 39c (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa. —Recently, WSTEC ground ana dried beans, 45 sene per lb (to distributors), 50 sene per lb (to retailers).

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

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

PAPUAN GUM DUMAR.— Steamships Trading Co Ltd, Samarai, quotes SA2OO per long ton FOB Samarai.

PEANUTS. PNG: Sydney agents reported recently f.0.b., Lae,- Kernels—white Spanish 19c 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, Gambler 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 lb bags, $lB5 a metric tonne.

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

RUBBER. —PNG prices are based on Singapore rates which on June 1 were: No, 1 RSS (Malayan cents a kilo f.0.b.), July, 191.G0-149 149 .00; August, 185.50-165.00; September, 181.50-162.00.

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., Sydnev Tonga.—sT4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $T4.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA.— LONDON, August 31, Philippines, in bulk, $U5394.82 per long ton, c.i.f.