Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar (October 17) equals New Zealand, $1.0062 (buying), $1.0022 (selling); Fiji $1.1612 (buying), Western Samoa. T 0.9093 (buying); US, $1.4900, $1.4850; UK, 61.4024 np, 60.9533 np; French Pacific 115.23 (buying), 113.47 (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, $219; 2nd grade, $209; sub standard (ss), $BO.

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, $144.00; 2nd quality, $130.00.

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 goes 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 September 29 was $lOO. Marseilles 146 French francs (per 100 kilos) October 3.

COOK IS.:—Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operate NZ's copra crushing

mill. Prices for October-December, packed shipping weights f.o.b. were fixed at $NZ251.22 Ist grade, hot-air dried, $NZ249.37 Ist grade, sun-dried, and $NZ247.99 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 4b 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 October 17 (July/Sep tember shipment) was spot £stg 609 ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent.

October 17. In store Rabaul, export quality, $B4O per ton delivered ex wharf Sydney $950.

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, 46c per lb; B grade, 43c, C grade, 41£c, Y grade, 41 |c (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa. —Recently, WSTEC ground and 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, Gambier shells, to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete. Fiji.—3sc per lb.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.):—PNG: [Tried 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 .CO -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., Sydney.

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

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA.—LONDON, September 28, Philippines, in bulk, $U5354.39 per long ton, c.i.f.

NZ aid for

Cooks agriculture

The NZ Cabinet has approved a $63,000 grant to the Cook Islands Government to help the Cooks buy

agricultural machinery and equip

ment, and sheds for storing equip ment. The Cooks Minister of Economic Services, Mr W. Estall, said the NZ Cabinet had also agreed to give the Cook Islands a grant of 80 per cent of the cost of agricultural spray materials needed for this year.

This would amount to an additional maximum sum of $70,000.