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 Dec. 20, 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: l Pac, franc equals 0.055 French franc). Paris- London: Buying 13.36 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 Dec. 18 was $lOO (10,000 Pac. francs). French price was 1,315 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 Jan., Feb. and Mar. were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ171.13 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ169.04 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ167.48 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 —12 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. —lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Dec. 20 was £Stg.39o per ton, c.i.f., UK Spot.

On Dec. 24, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $7lO per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney, $765. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney, $765, in store NG ports $683 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa. —Latest price quoted in Sydney on Dec. 22, was Ist grade, £Stg.3Bo; 2nd grade, £Stg.36o, f.o.b. per ton.

New Hebrides. —beach, Vila, Santo, $3OO per ton.

Solomons. —5 cents a Ib delivered to a fermentary, 4 cents a Ib at buying points.

COFFEE. —P-NG: On Dec. 24, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 47c per Ib; B grade 44c; C grade 40c; X grade 45c and native X grade 41 (ex-store Sydney).

CROCODILE SKINS. On Dec. 23, Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, Ist grade quality as follows: P-NG —$3.05 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 Dec. 23 Aus tralian buyers report very little demand from Japan, Europe and the US. Price not quoted: Honiara: 5c to 6c per Ib.

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

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

PEANUTS. —P-NG; Sydney agents reported Dec. 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, $A 1,260 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, Gambler shells, up to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c Ib, flowers.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Mar. 31, 1970, are— P-NG; Dried brown rice, $136.00 per fon, f.o.w. Sydney. Vitamin-enriched white rice, $150.50 per ton. Other Pacific Islands; Polished white (56 Ib bags) or dried brown rice (112 Ib 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. P-NG price is based on Singapore rates which on Dec. 19 were: Prompt nominal shipment 67| Malayan cents per lb; Jan., M67£ cents per lb and Feb., M6 7\ cents per lb (all about 23 Aust. cents per lb).

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

SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva otters F4sc per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality. 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: Dec. 24— 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 Dec. 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, Dec. 19, Philippines, in bulk, SUS24B per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports; US Pacific coast SUS23O per short ton.

Coconut Oil; London, Dec. 19, Ceylon,

1% in bulk, £Stg.l72 per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports.

Rubber: London, Dec. 19, Spot 23-3/16D

Stg. lb; Dec. 23}d Stg. Ib; Mar. 23-7/16d Stg. lb.