Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in Australian currency, Australian dollar (April 16) equals New Zealand $1.0293 (buying), $1.0251 (selling); Fiji $1.2024 Western Samoa $0.9904 (buying), $0.8953 (selling); US, $1.4900 (buying), $1.4850 (selling); UK, 63.1632 np (buying), 62 6881 np (selling); French Pacific 132.89 (buying), 130.99 (selling); Tonga, $11.0258 (mid rate).

Copra

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U N B EW '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 coconut oiT mills on New Britain. , Latest prices per metric tonne, delivered main ports, were: hot-air dried, $377; FMS, $374; smoke-dried, $372.

PI j I —The board fixes prices on Philippines copra ‘taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs' shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: Ist grade, $597.50; 2nd grade, $587.50; substandard (ss), $BO.

WESTERN SAMOA; The board makes payments to producers through its agents—local firms—and sells the copra on the open market with a portion to Abels Ltd, NZ Recent PriC . C 4 P \ r 97i° n qU $ '' qU TONGA - All copra is sold to the board which sends it to Europe and the open market Recent prices to growers were T 5344.40 Ist grade, and T 5332.40 2nd grade, per ton.

Per coconut 4.6 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 epen market. Recent prices were: $224 per ton Ist grade, $212.80 per ton 2nd grade and $201.60 per ton 3rd grade.

GILBERT AND ELLICE.— 4c per lb (Ist grade); 3c per lb (2nd grade).

Auckland, who operate NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for April-June, packed shipping weights f.o.b. were fixed at $NZ492.42 premium grade and $NZ489.67 standard grade.

NIUE: —All copra is sold to the Niue Develop ment Board which sends it to Abels Ltd, of Auckland. Prices for January-June 1974 f.o.b. per ton will be $NZ251.22, Ist grade, hot air-dried; $NZ249.49, Ist grade, sun-dried; and $NZ248.20, 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. —Solomons, Honiara, long red dried 14 cents per lb. Tabasco 22 cents per lb first eye' (under I 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.— lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on April 16 was spot £stg 1017 ton, c.i.f-; UK, Continent.

April 16, in store Rabaul, export quality, $l3OO per ton delivered ex wharf Sydney $1495.

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, 53c, per lb; B grade, 51£c, C grade, 50c, Y grade, 50c (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa. —Recently, WSTEC ground and dried beans, 60 sene per lb wholesale.

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

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

LIMES.— Niue Development Board pays growers NZ3c per lb for Ist grade fruit and NZlc per lb for 2nd grade fruit.

PASSIONFRUIT. —Niue Development Board pays growers NZ6c per lb for good fruit.

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 Pear Ishel lers Assn has no recent quotes. Solomons.

Honiara, mother of pearl blackhp 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, $295 per metric tonne. Vitamm enriched white, 25 kilo bags, $3OO P® r metric tonne, all f.o.w, Sydney/Melbourne.

Pacific Islands: Calrose med. gram, 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 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 C ° SHARKS' 11 fi NS. Chang Sing Loong Co, Suva, offers 75c per lb for Ist quality, 45c for mixed quality.

TROCHUS.— BSIP 9-11 cents per lb. Fill 8-9 CB 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 -'-h/ Wdnev Tonga.—sT4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $14.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA.— LONDON, April 8, Philippines, ii Bulk, SUS67O per long ton, c.l.f.