Exchange Rates

FlJl.— Through Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda. Sterling dollar on Fiji dollar, buying £Stg.l = $F2.085; selling $2.11.

WESTERN SAMOA.— Through Bank of Western Samoa, controlled from NZ, seller SAI to SWS Tala 1.2470.

Norfolk Is., Papua-New Guinea. Aus

tralian currency used: no exchange payable in transactions with Australia.

FRENCH PACIFIC COLONIES.— Pacific francs (CFP) are used in New Caledonia, New Hebrides (jointly with Australian dollars), Wallis and Futuna Islands and Fr. Polynesia. French Bank, Sydney, on Sept. 25, quoted: Selling, Noumea and Papeete, 98 Pac. francs to $ Aust.; approx. 90 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea 18 Pac. francs to 1 French franc (conversion rate: 1 Pac. franc equals 0.055 French franc). Paris- London: Buying 13.2425 francs to £Stg. Also, CStg. equals 215.50 Pac. francs.

NEW HEBRIDES:— Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price up in Sept, was $75 (7,500 Pac. francs). French price up to Sept. 19 was 1,100 francs per metric ton, c.i.f. Marseilles.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operates NZ's copra crushing mill. Price paid is average London price for previous three months, less handling charges.

Prices for July, Aug. and Sept, were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ154.81 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ152.71 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ151.16 standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY:—Copra Stabilisation Board pays $U5112.50 per ton, grade 1; $lOO per ton, deliveries outer islands.

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quoted F2oc (4 in. to 7 in.) to F3oc (9 in. to 11 in.) lb for "Sucuwalu" and "Loaloa" varieties.

Honiara.—Live slugs, over six inches, black six for 10c, other colours—l2 for 10c.

CHILLIES.— SoIomons, Honiara, Tabasco, grade one, dried 22c per lb, wet, 6c per lb; long red, grade one, dried, 12c per lb, long red, wet, 3c per lb.

COCOA. —Islands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Sept. 24 was £Stg.426/5/- per ton, c.i.f., UK Spot.

On Sept. 25, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $740 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney, $BOO. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney, $B2O, in store NG ports $750 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa. —Latest price quoted in Sydney on Sept. 11, was Ist grade, £Stg.3Bo; 2nd grade, £Stg.36o, f.o.b.

New Hebrides.—beach, Vila, Santo, $3OO per ton, Solomons. —s cents a lb delivered to a fermentary, 4 cents a lb at buying points.

COFFEE.— P-NG: Sept. 25, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 35c per lb; B grade 32c; C grade 29c,• X grade 32c and native X grade 30c (ex-store Sydney). (Best prices available).

CROCODILE SKINS. On Sept. 25, Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, Ist grade quality as follows: P-NG —s3.os per in., f.o.b. main ports, small scale (salt water); large scale (fresh water] $2.10 per in. 8.5.1., Honiara: $l.BO to $2.20 per in.; Gizo: $2.10 per in.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL. On Sept, 25 Aus tralian buyers report very little demand from Japan, Europe and the US. Price not quoted: Honiara: 5c to 6c per lb.

PAPUAN GUM: Graded gum $lB5 per ton, f.0.b., NG ports.

PASSIONFRUIT.—Cook Islands, Islands Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2.5c per lb for good fruit.

PEANUTS. —P-NG: Sydney agents reported Sept. 25, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels—white Spanish 17.25 c lb.

PEARL SHELL.—Torres Strait Pearlshellers' Assn, recently quoted these prices for MOP: AA grade, $A1,260 per ton; A, $1,460; B ( $2,060; C, $2,100; D, $1,260; E, $910; EE, $635 and EEE, $375 f.o.b. Thurs. Is.

Solomons. —Honiara, mother of pearl black lip 15c lb, goldlip 20c lb. Cook Islands. — Penrhyn Island, SNZ7OO a ton (approx.), f.0.b., Rarotonga. French Polynesia. —Tuamotu, Gambier shells, up to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Oct. 31, 1969, are— P-NG: Dried brown rice, 112 lb bags, $137.50 per ton, f.o.w. Sydney. Vitamin enriched white rice, 56 lb bags, $152.50 per ton. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white (56 lb bags) or dried brown rice (112 lb bags), $l6l per ton, f.o.w.

Solomons.— sls6 per ton (orders under 2 tons), $l4B per ton (over 2 tons), f.o.b.

Honiara.

RUBBER. —R-NG price is based on Singapore rates, which on Sept. 23 were: Prompt nominal shipment 74 Malayan cents per lb; Oct M 74 cents per lb and Nov., M 74 cents per lb (all about 22 Aust. cents per lb).

SANDALWOOD.—New Hebrides, landed on the beach, Vila and Santo, $250 a ton.

SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva offers F4sc per lb for well-dried fins of commercia! quaMty ICEP Pty. Ltd., 22 Taylor St., North Curl Curl, Sydney, quote 65c to 85c lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality.

TROCHUS.— A Sydney buyer indicated the following prices: Sept. 25— Papua— $140-$ 150 per ton— Honiara— sl4o-$145 per ton, f.o.b.

Islands ports—direct shipment overseas—NG— sl2s-$l3O per ton.

TURTLE SHELL.—BSI: First grade unmarked 60c to $1.50 a lb at Gizo.

VANILLA BEANS.— Victor Karp Tulk & Co..

Sydney, buy mainly from Tahiti for Sydney and Melbourne essence makers. Prices on Sept. 25 were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $6.15; green label $5.99, c.i.f., Sydney. Tonga— $T4.20, f.0.b., Nukua lofa; $T4.50, Melbourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA: LONDON, Sept. 24, Philippines, in bulk, $U5209.50 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports; US Pacific coast SUSIB4 per short ton.

COCONUT OIL: LONDON, Sept. 19, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.l33/10/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

RUBBER: LONDON, Sept. 23, Spot 27d Stg. lb; Sept. 25-5/16d Stg. lb; Dec. 27| Stg. lb.