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 Nov. 22, 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 13.3625 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. 30 was $B4 (8,400 Pac. francs). French price was 1,190 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.) Ib 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 Ib, wet, 6c per Ib; long red, grade one, dried, 12c per Ib, long red, wet, 3c per Ib.

COCOA. —-Islands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Nov. 21 was £Stg.4l2/10/- per ton, c.i.f., UK Spot.

On Nov. 24, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $760 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney, $8 1 5. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney, $825, in store NG ports $755 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa. —Latest price quoted in Sydney on Nov. 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 Ib delivered to a fermentary, 4 cents a Ib at buying points.

COFFEE. —P-NG: On Nov. 24, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 48c per Ib- B grade 45c- C grade 41 c,- X grade 45c and native X grade 43c (ex-store Sydney).

CROCODILE SKINS. On Nov. 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 Nov. 23 Aus tralian buyers report very little demand from Japan, Europe and the US. Price not quoted: Honiara: 5c tn 6c per Ib.

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

PASSION FRUIT.— Cook Islands, Islands Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2.5c per Ib for good fruit.

PEANUTS. —P-NG: Sydney agents reported Nov. 23, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels—white Spanish 17.25 c Ib.

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 Ib, goldlip 20c Ib. Cook Islands.— Manihiki, 40c-46c per Ib: deliver Rarotonga, consignment 50c-56c per Ib. French Polynesia. —Tuamotu, Gambier shells, up to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c Ib, flowers.

Rl r E (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 wh ; te (56 'b bags) or dried brown rice (112 Ib bags), $l6l per ton, f.o.w.

Solomons. $156 per ton (orders under 2 tons), $l4B per ton (over 2 tons), f.o.b.

Honiara.

RUBBER.—P-NG price is based on Singapore rates which on Nov. 21 were: Prompt nominal shipment 61 \ Malayan cents per lb,- Dec M 6 cents per lb and Jan., M6’| cents per lb (all about 18 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 commercial quality. ICEP Pty, Ltd., 22 Taylor St., North Cur! Curl, Sydney, quote 65c to 85c lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality.

TROCHUS. —A Sydney buyer indicated the following prices: Nov. 23— Pap-a— sl4o-$l5O per ton— Honiara— sl4o-$! 45 per ton, f.o.b.

Islands ports—direct shipment overseas—NG— sl2s-$! 30 per ton.

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

VANILLA BEANS. —Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, buy mainly from Tahiti for Sydney and Melbourne essence makers. Prices on Nov. 24 were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $6.15; green label $5.99, c.i.f., Sydney. Tonga. —sT4.2o, f.0.b., Nukua lofa; $T4.50, Melbourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA: LONDON, Nov. 20, Philippines, in bulk, SUS 226 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports; US Pacific coast SUS2OS per short ton.

Coconut Oil: London, Nov. 20, Ceylon,

1% in bulk, £Stg.l46 per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports.

RUBBER: LONDON, Nov. 21, Spot 23? d Stg. lb; Dec. 21-7/16d Stg. lb; Feb. 22-5/16d Stg.

Ib.