Exchange Rates

FlJl.—Through Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda. Sterling dollar on Fiji dollar, buying £1 = $F2.085; selling $2.11. Aust. dollar on Fiji dollar. buyinq $A1.0117 = SFI; selling $A1.0288 = SFI.

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

Norfolk Is., Papua-New Guinea. Aus

fralian 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 July 28, quoted; Selling, Noumea and Papeete, 110.86 Pac. francs to $ Aust.; approx. 100 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea 18.18 Pac. francs to 1 French franc (conversion rate: 1 Pac. franc equals 0.055 French franc). Paris- London; Buying 13.18 francs to £. Also, £ equals 239.67 Pac. francs.

GILBERT AND ELLICE:—Board pays growers $78.40 per ton and receives $143.05 per ton overseas; 2nd grade price 3£c per lb.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on July 20 was $BO (8,000 Pac. francs).

Marseilles, 1,190 francs, July 10.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operates NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for Apr., May and June were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ189.27 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ187.20 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ185.63 standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY:—Board pays $U5112.50 per ton, grade 1; $lOO per ton, 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 red, wet, 3c per lb.

COCOA.—lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on July 17 was £270 per ton, c.i.f., UK Spot.

On July 20, Quote No. 1; in store Rabaul, export quality $490 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney $550. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney $545, in store NG ports $448 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa.—Latest price quoted in Sydney in July was Ist grade, £230; 2nd grade, £215, f.o.b. per ton, and unchanged.

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

Solomons.—4 cents a lb delivered to a fermentary, 3 cents a lb at buying points.

COFFEE.—P-NG: On July 20, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 51c per lb; B grade 47c; C grade 44c; X grade 47£c and native X grade 44c (ex-store Sydney).

CROCODILE SKINS. On July 20, 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. Very little demand from Japan, Europe and the US. Price not quoted: Honiara: 5c to 6c per lb.

PAPUAN GUM: Graded gum $195 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 July 20, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels —white Spanish 17.25 c lb.

PEARL SHELL.—Thurs. Is. out of season, production to resume Aug. Solomons.—Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 15c lb, goldlip 20c lb. Cook Islands.—Manihiki, 40c-46c per lb: delivered Rarotonga, 50c-56c per lb. French Polynesia.—Tuamotu, Gambier shells, to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Mar. 31, 1971, are —P-NG: Dried brown rice, $132 per ton, f.o.w. Sydney. Vitamin-enriched white rice, $146.50 per ton. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white (56 lb bags) or dried brown rice (112 lb bags), $156 per ton, f.o.w.

RUBBER.—P-NG price is based on Singapore rates which on July 20 were: Prompt nominal shipment 52£ Malayan cents per lb; Aug., M 53 cents per lb and Sept., Ms3£ cents per lb (all about 19£ 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.

TROCHUS.—JuIy 20—Papua—$180-$! 90 per Melbourne essence makers. Prices on July 20 were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $7.60; green label $7.50, c.i.f., Sydney. Tonga.—sT4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $14.50, Melbourne.

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 July 20 were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $7.60; green label $7.50, c.i.f., Sydney, Tonga.—sT4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $T4.50, Melbourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA: LONDON, July 20, Philippines, in bulk, SUS 223 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports; US Pacific coast SUSIB4, buyer, SUSIB7, seller.

COCONUT OIL; LONDON, July 20, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £147 per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports.

RUBBER: LONDON, July 20, Spot 73\d Stg. lb; July 18-1 l/16d Stg. lb; Oct. 20£d Stg,