Exchange Rates

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

= Sfi.

WESTERN SAMOA —Through Bank of Western Samoa, controlled from NZ, seller 5A1.2470 to SWS Tala l

Norfolk Is., Papua New Guinea. Aus

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

Full exchange rates are not pub lished this month because of the uncertainty in some dealings in cur rencies since the US decided to allow the dollar to “float”. The subsequent decision of Japan to “free” the yen, too, has had an effect on dealings in a number of currencies.

mill. Prices for July 1 to Sept. 30 were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ158.23 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ156.13 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ154.55 standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY:—Board pays sUbli2.so per ton, grade I; $lOO per ton, outer islands.

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F33c (4 in. to 7 in.) to F4oc (9 in. to 11 in.) lb depending on qualify.

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. — islands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on August 25 (Oct./Dec. shipment) was spot £5tg.245.50 ton, c.i.f., UK, Continent.

August 27, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $420 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney $4BO. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney $475 (Sept, shipment), $489 (Oct./Dec. shipment); in store NG ports $414 (Oct./Dec.).

W. Samoa. —No offerings for early shipment.

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

COFFEE: PNG: The latest firm quotes, in the first half of August were, good quality, A grade per lb; B grade 36£c; C grade (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa.—Recently, WSTEC 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., Gizo: $2.10 per in.

Green Snail Shell.—S3So A Ton F.O.B.

(nominal).

PAPUAN GUM.—Graded gum $215 per ton, f.o.b.

PASStONFRUIT.—Cook Islands, Islands Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2.5c per lb for gooo fruit.

PAPAW.—Cook Islands, Island Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2c 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, has no recent quotes. Solomons. — Honiara, mother of pearl black!ip 15c lb, gold lip 20c lb. Cook Islands.—Penrhyn, 20-25 c per lb, del. Rarotonga 33-35 c per lb. French Poly nesia.—Tuamotu, Gambier shells, to $l,OOO oer ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM—NG growers 17c ib flowers RICE (Aust.): Prices till March 31, 1972, are —PNG: Dried brown, 112 Ib bags, $124 a ton, 40 Ib bags, $134 a ton; vitamin enriched white, 56 Ib bags, $137.50 a ton; all f.o.w.

Sydney/Melbourne. Pacific Islands: White pol ished, 56 Ib bags, $156 a ton, f.o.w. Sydney/ Melbourne.

RUBBER.—PNG price is based on Singapore rates which on Aug. 25 were: No. 1 RSS prompt shipment (Malavan cents a kilo) Oct. b 102.50; Sept, b 99.75.

SANDALWOOD.—New Hebrides, landed on the beach, Vila and Santo, $250 a ton SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers 55c per Ib for well-dried fins of commercial quality, TROCHUS.—BSIP 3c to 4c per Ib.

TURTLE SHELL— BSh First grade unmarked 60c to $1.50 a Ib 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 $T4.20, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $T4.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA. —LONDON, Aug. 18, Philippines, in bulk, SUSI9S (Sept, reseller) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports; US Pacific coast, b SUSIS2£, s SUSISB.

Coconut Oil.—London, Aug. 17, £Stg,L4S.

25.

Rubber.—London, Aug. 25, No. 1 Rss

Spot (per kilo), b 13.80 new pence (Sept, ship ment).