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

rralian 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 Oct. 23, 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 13.3565 francs to £Stg. Also, £Stg. equals 215.50 Pac. francs.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price up to Oct. 17 was $7B (7,800 Pac. francs). French price was 1,120 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 Oct., Nov. and Dec. were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ157.41 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ155.32 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ153.76 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, quote 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 —12 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 reef, wet, 3c per lb.

COCOA.—lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Oct. 23 was £Stg.42B/15/- per ton, c.i.f., UK Spot.

On Oct. 23, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $760 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney, $Bl5. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney, $B4O, in store NG ports $750 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa. —Latest price quoted in Sydney on Oct. 23, was Ist grade, £Stg.3Bo ; 2nd grade, £Stg.36o, f.o.b. per ton.

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: On Oct. 23, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 41c per lb; B grade 39c- C grade 35c; X grade 40c and native X grade 39c (ex-store Sydney).

CROCODILE SKINS. On Oct. 23, 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 Oct. 23 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 Oct. 23, 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.— Manihiki, 40c-46c per lb: deliver Rarotonga, consignment 50c-56c per lb. French Polynesia. —Tuamotti, Gambier shells, up to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Mar. 31, 1970, are—P-NG: Dried brown rice, $136.00 per ton, f o.w. Sydney. Vitamin-enriched white rice, $150.50 per ton. Other Pacific islands: Polished white (56 lb bags) or dried brown rice (112 lb bags), $l6l per ton, f.o.w.

tonO ,om t°r]fi~ sls6 * PCr , ton (orders under 2 Honiara s 48 PCr f ° n ° Ver 2 tons) ' fob rat^ B wh?;r«; NG A P riC o®o is based on Singapore rates which on Oct. 22 were: Prompt nominal M<ST e ;Ltf 8 Ma ,L cents per lb '- Nov., ThLi P %n 5 a . nd Dec ' cents per id (all about 20 Aust. cents per lb).

Jr£ L , WOOD .T New Hebrldes - landed on the beach, Vila and Santo, $250 a ton. o« S ” AR IL/ INS: chan 9 Sing Loong Co., Suva offers F4sc per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality. ICEP Pty. Ltd., 22 Tavlor St., North Curl Curl, Sydney, quote '6sc to 85c lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality. rJ?° CHUS - A Sydney buyer indicated the following prices: Oct. 23—Papua—$140-$l5O per ton—Honiara—sl4o-$145 per ton, f.o.b. «ioc d * l o^ orts direct sh 'Pment overseas—NG— sl2s-$l3O per ton.

Ao TU f TL *i fo ELL :r~ B^,: First 9 rad e 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 Oct 23 were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $6.15; green label $5.99, c.i.f., Sydney Tonga.—sl4.2o, f.0.b., Nukua lofa; $14.50, Melbourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

22 ' Philippines, in bulk, SUS2I2 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth European ports; US Pacific coast SUSIBI per short ton.

Coconut Oil: Lonoon, Oct. 22, Cey'on

1% in bulk, £Stg.l37 per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth' European ports.

RUBBER: LONDON, Oct. 22, Soot 26? d Stq lb; Nov. 24£d Stg. lb; Jan. 24-3/16d Stg. lb.