Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency, Australian dollar (January 17) equals New Zealand $1.0896 (buying), 51. 0809 (selling); Fiji $1,300 (buying), $1.2699 (selling); Western Samoa $0.9124 (buying), $0.8952 (selling); US, $1.5011 (buying), $1,485 (selling); UK, 69.15 np (buying), 67.86 np fse.ling). French Pacific, 137.11 (buying), 137.71 (selling); Tonga, $1.1131 (mid rate).

Copra

Copra industries are controlled through copra boards in PNG, the Solomons, the GEIC, both Samoas, Fiji, Tonga, the Cooks and the US Trust Territory. New Hebrides, 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, $300; FMS, $297; smoke-dried, $295.

FIJI: —The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $423; 2nd grade, $413; 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, $158.60; 2nd quality, $144.80.

TONGA: All copra is sold to the board which sends it to Europe and the open market. Recent prices to growers were T 5225.00 Ist grade, and T 5213.00 2nd grade, per ton.

Per coconut 3 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, $200; smoke-dried, $lB6 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 January 7 was $2OO. Marseilles 312£ French francs (per 100 kilos) January 11.

COOK IS.; —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland who operate NZ's copra crushingj mill. Prices for January-March, packed shipping weights f.o.b. were fixed at $NZ254.61 Ist grade, hot-air dried, $NZ252.99 Ist grade, sun-dried, and $NZ251.79 standard grade.

NIUE: —All copra is sold to the Niue Develop ment Board which sends it to Abels Ltd., of Auckland. Prices for July to December 1973 f.o.b. per ton were $NZ153.91, Ist grade, hot air-dried; $NZ152.03, Ist grade, sun-dried; and $NZ150.64, standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY: Price per short ton SUS 182.50 (grade 1), SUS 172.50 (grade 2), SUS 162.50 (grade 3), delivered district centres; $170.00 (grade 1), $160.00 (grade 2), $150.00 (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.

'Bird's eye' (under 2 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 January 11 was spot £stg 562 ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent.

January 11, in store Rabaul, export quality, $690 per ton delivered ex wharf Sydney $770.

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, 47\c per lb; B grade, 46c, C grade, 44c, Y grade, 44c (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa.— Recently, WSTEC ground and dried beans, 60 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 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: 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/AAelbourne.

RUBBER. —PNG prices are based on Singapore rates which on December 23 were: No. 1 RSS (Malayan cents a kilo f.0.b.), February, 262.50- 235.00; March, 260.00-233.50.

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.—sl4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $14.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA.—LONDON, January 11, Philippines, in bulk, SUS74O per long ton, c.i.f.

New Tongan product

goes up in smoke

A Tongan-owned tobacco manufac turing company went into production at Haveluloto in November. The company, Seaview Tobacco Co Ltd, is operated by Afeaki Bros with a

working capital of $50,000.

First production was ready-rubbed

tobacco, packed in maroon packs. On

the first day of operation, the factory produced from local tobacco, 1,600 1 oz packets retailing at 20c each.