Exchange Rates

FlJl. —Through Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda. Sterling dollar on Fiji dollar, buying £1 = $F2.11; selling $2,085. Aust. dollar on Fiji dollar, buying $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

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

FRENCH PACIFIC COLONIES.— Pacific francs fCFP) are used in New Caledonia, New Hebrides (jointly with Australian dollars), Wallis and Futuna Islands and Fr. Polynesia. French Bank, Sydney, on Dec. 21, quoted: Selling, Noumea and Papeete, 109 Pac. francs to $ Aust.; approx. 100 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea 18 Pac. francs to 1 French franc (conversion rate: 1 Pac. franc equals 0.055 French franc). Paris- London: 13.20 francs to £. Also, £ equals 240.04 Pac. francs.

to the open market. Recent prices were: Ist grade, $130; 2nd grade, $126; 3rd grade, $ll6 per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

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

NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on Nov. 26 was $B5 (8,500 Pac. francs).

Marseilles, 1,230 francs, Dec. 11.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operates NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for October 1 to December 31 were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ173.38 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ171.30 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ169.73 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 F3sc (4 in. to 7 in.) to F4oc (9 in. to 11 in.) lb depending on quality.

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

CHILLIES. —Solomons, Honiara, Tabasco, grade one, dried 22c per lb; long red, grade one, dried, 12c per lb.

COCOA. —lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Dec. 18 (Dec./Jan. shipment) was 283/9 per cwt., c.i.f., UK Continent Spot.

Dec. 22, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $5OO per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney $560. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney $570, in store NG ports $530 (for immediate UK, Continent and USA ship ments).

Forward prices: Apr./June, $525 (in store, NG ports).

W. Samoa. —Nominal quotation for Dec. 15 was Ist grade, £Stg.2Bo; 2nd grade, £Stg.26o, f.o.b. per ton.

New Hebrides. —Beach, Vila, Santo, $3OO per ton (nom.).

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

COFFEE.— P-NG: Dec. 22, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 44c per lb; B grade 42c; C grade 40c; X grade 42c and native X grade 39£c (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa. —Mid-Sept. W. STEC ground and dried beans, 49 sene per lb (wholesale).

CROCODILE SKINS. Recent Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, Ist grade quality as follows: 8.5.1., Honiara —$1.80 to $2.20 per in.; Gizo: $2.10 per in.

Green Snail Shell. $350-$4Oo A Ton,

f.o.b. Ij 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 recently 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.0.b., Thurs. Is.

Solomons. —Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 15c lb, goldlip 20c lb. Cook Islands. —Manihiki,

40c-46s 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 Dec. 15 were: No. 1 RSS prompt nominal shipment (Malayan cents per lb) b 51 |c, s 51 eC (nom); Jan. b 52|c, s. 52|c; Feb. b 54ic, s 54|c.

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

SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers 55c per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality.

TROCHUS.—Dec. 22 (nom.)—Papua—slBo-$l9O per ton—Honiara—3c to 4c per lb—NG— slso-$ 160 per ton.

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

VANILLA BEANS. Prices recently were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $7.50; green label $7.40, c.i.f., Sydney.

Tonga.—sl4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $14.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA: LONDON, Dec. 18, Philippines, in bulk, $U5233.50 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports; US Pacific coast SUSI9O, buyer, $U5203.50, seller.

COCONUT OIL: LONDON, Dec. unquoted.

RUBBER: LONDON: Dec. 15, No. 1 RSS, Spot (per lb), b 19|d, s 19*d; Jan. b 18-7/16d, s 18id; Mar. b 19? d, s 201 d.