Produce Prices

(Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in istralian currency. Australian dollar (August ) equals New Zealand $1.0353 (buying), .0311 (selling); Fiji $1.2020 (buying); •stern Samoa $0.9094 (buying), $0.8952 tiling); US, $1.4900 (buying), $1.4850 tiling); UK, 62.95 np (buying), 62.45 np tiling); French Pacific 129.34 francs (buying), 7.52 (selling); Tonga, $T1.0258 (mid rate).

Copra

Copra industries are controlled through copra ards in PNG, the Solomons, the GEIC, both moas, Fiji, Tonga, the Cooks and the US Trust rritory. New Hebrides, French Polynesia and w Caledonia don't have boards and copra is fher sold individually by growers to overseas yers or used locally.

NEW GUINEA: The board, with planters' }s, directs distribution and sales and pays inters. Shipments are made to UK, European irkets and to Australia and Japan, and coco t oil mills on New Britain.

Latest prices per metric tonne, delivered lin ports, were; hot-air dried, $370; FMS, 67; smoke-dried, $365.

FIJI:—The board fixes prices on Philippines ara, taking into account freight, taxes, selling sts, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: I grade, $453.50; 2nd grade, $443.50; sub mdard (ss), $BO.

WESTERN SAMOA: The board makes pay nts to producers through its agents—local ms—and sells the copra on the open market th a portion to Abels Ltd, NZ. Recent ice per ton fob: Ist quality, $334; 2nd ality, $320.

TONGA: All copra is sold to the board lich sends it to Europe and the open irket. Recent prices to growers were T 5344.40 f grade, and T 5332.40 2nd grade, per ton. r coconut 4.6 seniti.

SOLOMON IS:—All production through board prices based on Philippines rates. Output es to the UK, Japan, Australia and the rest the open market. Recent prices were; $336 r ton Ist grade, $268.80 per ton 2nd grade d $257.60 per ton 3rd grade.

GILBERT AND ELLICE.—6c per lb (Ist grade); per lb (2nd grade).

NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by inters to France and Japan. Official market ce on August 8, Marseilles, was 310 French mcs (per 100 kilos).

COOK IS: Copra goes to Abels Ltd, of ckland, who operate NZ's copra crushing 11. Prices for July-September, packed shipping lights f.o.b. were fixed at $NZ501.89 premium ade and $NZ499.11 standard grade.

NIUE:—AII copra is sold to the Niue Develop mt Board which sends it to Abels Ltd, of ickland. Prices for July-December 1974 i.b. per ton will be $NZ497.21, Ist grade, t air-dried; $NZ495.63, Ist grade, sun-dried; d $NZ494.45, standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY:—Price per short ton IS 252.50 (grade 1), SUS 242.50 (grade 2), IS 232.50 (grade 3), delivered district centres; 40 (grade 1), $230 (grade 2), $220 (grade 3), eked up outer islands.

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER. Chang Sing Loong Co, iva, quote 60c Fijian per lb (4 in. to 10 in.).

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

CHILLIES.—SoIomons, Honiara, long red dried I cents per lb. Tabasco 22 cents per lb first ade.

'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.—lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on August 12 was spot £stg 982.5 ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent.

August 14, in store Rabaul, export quality, $llBO per ton; delivered ex wharf Sydney $l3OO.

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, 44c, C grade, 42£c, Y grade, 41£c (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.

LIMES.—Niue Development Board pays growers NZ3£c per lb for Ist grade fruit and NZ2c per lb for 2nd grade fruit.

PASSIONFRUIT.—Niue Development Board pays growers NZ7c 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 Pea r Ishel lers' 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, $295 per metric tonne. Vitamin enriched white, 25 kilo bags, $3OO 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 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.

SIRATRO SEEDS—Seeds are hand-harvested and available for export Sept to Dec.

TROCHUS.—BSIP 9-11 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; $T4.50, Mel bourne.