Produce
p. 75 · Read in the full issue
Prices
Unless otherwise shown, stated quotations are n Australian currency. Australian dollar (Dec 1) squalled: New Zealand, $1.1205 (buying), $1.1143 [selling); Papua New Guinea, K 0.8496 (buying), K 0.8436 (selling): FIJI, $0.9940 (buying), $0.9700 [selling); Tonga, pa'anga 1.0100 (buying), 0.9900 [selling); Western Samoa, tala 0.8371 (buying), tala 1.8227 (selling); US $1.0135 (buying), $1.0087 [selling); UK £0.6149 (buying), £0.6077 (selling); french Pacific, CFP 92.50 (buying), CFP 91.03 selling).
Copra
Copra industries are controlled through copra joards in PNG, the Solomons, the Gilberts, both Samoas, Fiji, Tonga, the Cooks and the US Trust territory. New Hebrides, French Polynesia and New Caledonia do not have boards and copra is either (Old individually by growers to overseas buyers or jsed locally.
PNG:— The board, with planters' reps, directs listribution and sales and pays planters. Shipments ire made to UK, European markets and to Australia ind Japan, and coconut oil mills in New Britain.
Latest prices are: Per tonne, delivered main )orts, hot air dried, K 182; FMS, K 179; smoke dried,
$177 (prices include Kl 6 bounty).
FIJI:— The board fixes prices on Philippines :opra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling :osts, shrinkage, etc. Latest prices were: Fiji 1, 697.25. Fiji 2, $188.25, CAS $7O.
NEW HEBRIDES:— Copra sold direct by )lanters to France and Japan. Burns Philp paying on Kharf, Vila or Santo, Nov 8 FNH 11,000; London, October 11, 169 met francs 100 kg cif Marseilles.
US TRUST TERRITORY: Palau: Ist grade, $lBO, Ind grade, $l7O, 3rd grade, $l6O, at district centre: »uter islands $155, $145 and $135 for the three irades. Yap $l6O, $l5O and $l4O respectively at Kstrict centre; outer islands, $135, $125 and $ll5 espectively. Truk, Ponape, Kusaie, Marshalls and Jorthern Marianas: $l5O, $l4O and $l3O respec ively at district centre; outer islands, $125, $ll5 and 105.
COOK ISLANDS:— All production is sold to (bels Ltd, Auckland. Prices are based on average rorld prices for the prior three or six months, and emain in force for three months.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: — Copra Board pays, per 3 at Honiara, Yandina and Gizo. 74 Ist grade, 6’/24 hd grade, s’/?4 3rd grade.
GILBERT ISLANDS:— $134,40 a ton, or 64 a lb.
Western Samoa:— Ist Grade, Swsib7.Io,
nd grade $W5174.00 TONGA:— All copra sold to EEC, Ist grade, P7O, 2nd grade, SPSB.
NIUE:— Standard, $147 a tonne gross.
Other Produce
COCOA:— Island rates are based on Ghana rice, Ghana price on Dec 2 was £stgl,B99 ton, cif, IK continent.
Dec 1, fob Rabaul, export quality K 2.250 per )nne; delivered ex wharf Sydney $3,000 per tonne.
New Hebrides:— London, Nov 19, 910 met ancs 100 kg.
Solomons: — Delivered Honiara prices recently 'ere 454 per lb Ist grade, 354 2nd grade.
Western Samoa:— London, Oct 29, Dec/Jan lipment £stgl.7so ton fob Apia.
CHILLIES:— Solomons, Honiara buyers payfor ry tabasco, Ist grade, 384 per lb, 2nd grade, 284 per i. Long Red is 204 per lb.
COFFEE:— PNG Dec 2. Good quality, A grade 1.30 per kg; B grade $4.22, C grade $4.21, Y grade 1.21 (ex-store Sydney).
W. Samoa:— Recently, WSTEC ground and ried beans, 604 per pound wholesale.
PEANUTS:— PNG: Sydney agents reported recently F. 0.8. Lae; Kernels white Spanish 194 lb.
BROOMCORN:— Fiji. Ist grade 16V44 lb, 2nd grade 14'/2<t per lb, 3rd grade 44 per lb.
RICE Aust):— PNG: Dried brown, 25 kilo bags, $298.94 per tonne. Vitamin enriched white, 25 kilo bags, $303.94 per tonne, all f.o.w. Sydney/ Melbourne. Pacific islands: Calrose med, grain, white, 25 kilo bags, $320 per tonne. Kulu long grain white, 25 kilo bags $335 per tonne. All prices c.i.f.
Sydney/Melbourne.
RUBBER:— Singapore, Nov 30,614 62.54 per kg VANILLA BEANS:— Prices recently were: White and yellow label processing standard packs, $7.50; green label $7.40, c.i.f. Sydney. Tonga $P4.20, f.0.b., Nukualofa. $P4.50 Melbourne.
TROCHUS:— Solomons: Private companies pay 184 per lb for good quality.
BLACK LIP:— Solomons: Private companies pay 224 for good quality.
BECHE-DE-MER:— Solomons: Private com panies pay: Ist grade $1.60 per lb; 2nd grade $1.30 per lb; 3rd grade $1 per lb.
GREEN SNAIL:— Solomons: Private com panies pay 30<t per lb.
GOLD LIP:— Solomons: Ist grade, 384 per lb.
TORTOISE SHELL:— Solomons: $l.BO $4 per lb.
SANDALWOOD:— New Hebrides: London, Nov 19, 340 met francs 100 super ft.
SHARK FINS:— Gilbert is Co-op Federation pays per lb; $2.20 Ist Grade, $1,50 2nd Grade, $1.20 3rd Grade.
COCONUT OIL: PNG: London. Nov 19. £stg34s ton, c.i.f. N. Europe ports.
MEAL CAKE:— PNG: London, Nov 19. £stglo4 tonne, c.i.f. N. Europe port.
Exchange Rates
FIJI Dec 2: Through Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda, First National City Bank, Aust $ on Fiji buying SFI = $A0.97.
COOK IS., NIUE New Zealand currency is used.
NEW HEBRIDES Dec 2. Through Banque Nationale de Paris (Sydney), Indoseuz Bank, ANZ Bank. Bank of NSW, National Bank of Aust, Commercial Banking Co of Sydney, Commercial Bank of Aust, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp, Barclays Bank International, SAI FNH 82.16 (buying) 80.96 (selling) airmail transfer rate.
WESTERN SAMOA Through Bank of Western Samoa, controlled from NZ, SWSI (tala) = $A1.20 TONGA Tongan dollar (pa’anga) = SAI.OI.
Norfolk Is, Solomon Is, Gl, Nauru
Australian currency used, no excange payable in transactions with Australia.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Dec 2: Through PNG Banking Corp, Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of South Pacific. $A = K 0.84.
FRENCH PACIFIC Pacific francs (CFP) are used in New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Is, and Fr Polynesia. French Bank, Sydney, quoted $A = 92.42 CFP (buying), 91.09 CFP (selling), Paris-London: £1 = 8.316 francs (buying), 8.306 francs (selling).
CFP-London, £1 = 151.54 CFP (buying), 151.36 CFP (selling) CFP to 1 met franc 18.43 (buying), 17.94 (selling).
Banks should be approached for daily rates.
• The Fiji Sugar Corporation
achieved a record net profit in 1975
even though production was the
lowest for 13 years. The post tax
profit was $9,677,725. The Fiji
Government, which owns the corpora
tion, will receive a dividend of 5c a
share, which will give it $1,850,000.
The production for 1975 was 268,107
tons.