Produce Prices

[Unless otherwise stated, quotations are in stralian currency. Australian dollar (September i equals New Zealand $1.0471 (buying), 0427 (selling); Fiji $1.2020 (buying); stern Samoa $0.9094 (buying), $0.8952 Hing); US, $1.4900 (buying), $1.4850 lling); UK, 64.50 np (buying), 64.00 np lling); French Pacific 131.27 francs (buying), >.42 (selling); Tonga, STI.OI (buying), 5T0.99 lling).

Copra

lopra industries are controlled through copra rds in PNG, the Solomons, the GEIC, both icas, Fiji, Tonga, the Cooks and the US Trust ritory. New Hebrides, French Polynesia and * Caledonia don't have boards and copra is ter sold individually by growers to overseas ers or used locally. lEW GUINEA: The board, with planters' >, directs distribution and sales and pays iters. Shipments are made to UK, European kets and to Australia and Japan, and coco oil mills on New Britain, atest prices per metric tonne, delivered n ports, were: hot-air dried, $370; FMS, 7; smoke-dried, $365.

IJl:—The board fixes prices on Philippines ra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling s, shrinkage, etc. Prices recently were: grade, $429; 2nd grade, $419; sub idard (ss), $BO. fESTERN SAMOA; The board makes pay ts to producers through its agents—local is and sells the copra on the open market i a portion to Abels Ltd, NZ. Recent f ° b: Ut qUal ‘ ty ' $334, ‘ 2nd °, NGA: AH copra is sold to the board :h sends it to Europe and the open ket. Recent prices to growers were T 5344 40 grade, and T 5332.40 2nd grade, per ton coconut 4.6 seniti.

DLOMON IS:— All production through board prices based on Philippines rates. Outpui ■ to the UK, Japan, Australia and the rest he open market. Recent prices were: $336 L°o" Is ' grade ' $268 8 ° Pc ton 2nd grade $257.60 per ton 3rd grade. * N S ELUCE.-Sc per lb (Ist grade), per lb (2nd grade).

EW HEBRIDES; Copra sold direct by ters to France and Japan. Official market ; on September 6, Marseilles, was 250 ch francs (per 100 kilos).

DOK IS: Copra goes to Abels Ltd, of Pr’Lc''? 0 ,°P er c ate N l Z ' s c °P ra crushing . Prices for July-September, packed shipping L i w°t b K I7 Tn r o e , flXed at $NZ501.89 premium le and $NZ499.11 standard grade. lUE:— AH copra is sold to the Niue Develop f Board which sends it to Abels Ltd, of eland. Prices for July-December 1974 '. per ton will be $NZ497.21, Ist grade, a «? NZ * 495 J 63 i' Ist grade ' sun-dried; $NZ494.45, standard grade. per short lon ono sA / 9ra / e „ l, ' J t US 242 - 50 2), 232.50 (grade 3), delivered district centres; ) (grade 1), $230 (grade 2), $220 (grade 3), ed up outer islands.

Other Produce

ECHE-DE-MER. Chang Sing Loong Co, i, quote 60c Fipan per lb (4 in. to 10 in.), jniara.—Best price paid is $1 per lb dried.

Ist grade; 70 cents per lb for 2nd grade. 4lLLlES.—Solomons, Honiara, long red dried rents per lb. Tabasco 22 cents per lb first e. ird'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 September 13 was spot £stg 822 ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent.

September 16, in store Rabaul, export quality, $llBO per ton; delivered ex wharf Sydney $1285.

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, 44c, per lb; B grade, 41£c, C grade, 39£c, Y grade, 38Jc (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 Pearlshel 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.