Produce

Prices

Unless otherwise shown, stated quotations are in Australian currency. Australian dollar (June 23) equals; NZ, $1.2480 (buying), $1.2436 (selling); Fiji, $1.1221 (buying), $1.0981 (selling); Western Samoa, tala, 1.0037 (buying), 0.9897 (selling); Tonga, pa'anga 0.8826 (buying). 0.8650 (selling); US, $1.2335 (buying), $1.2285 (selling); UK, £0.6973 (buying), £0.6895 (selling); French Pacific, CFP, 106.89 (buying), 105.25 (selling).

Copra

Copra industries are controlled through copra aoards in PNG, the Solomons, the Gilberts, both Samoas, Fiji, Tonga, the Cooks and the US Trust Ferritory New Hebrides, French Polynesia and New Caledonia do not have boards and copra is either >old individually by growers to overseas buyers or jsed locally.

PNG: —The board with planters' reps, directs Jistribution and sales and pays planters. Shipments ire made to UK, European markets and to Australia md Japan, and coconut oil mills on New Britain.

Latest prices are: Per tonne, delivered main >orts. hot air dried, K 136; FMS, K 133; smoke- Iried, Kl3l.

FIJI: The board fixed prices on Philippines opra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling osts, shrinkage, etc. The price is subsidised. Latest rices were: Fiji 1, $190; Fiji 2, $171; CAS. $7O NEW HEBRIDES; Copra is sold direct by ilanters to France and Japan, Burns Philp paying on vharf, Vila or Santo. April 5 FNH 4,200. London, une 18 117 met francs 100 kg cif Marseilles.

Us Trust Territory:— Ist Grade. $Loo,

nd grade, $9O. 3rd grade, $BO Outer islands. $75, 175 and $55 top for the three grades.

COOK ISLANDS: — All production is sold to ibels Ltd. Auckland. Prices are based on average /orld prices for the prior three or six months, and jmain in force for three months.

SOLOMON ISLANDS; — Copra Board pays, er lb at Honiara, Yandina and Gizo, 4 Vic Ist grade, c 2nd grade. 3Vic 3rd grade GILBERT ISLANDS:— $13440 a ton. or 6c er lb.

WESTERN SAMOA Ist grade.

WSIO9 50. 2nd grade. $W596.50.

TONGA: — All copra sold to EEC. Ist grade 70. 2nd grade. P5B.

NIUE: — Standard, $147 a tonne gross.

Other Produce

COCOA: — Islands rates are based on Ghana rice. Ghana price on June 24 was spot £stg 1,352 m. cif, UK, Continent.

June 24, in store. Rabaul, export quality. K 1,300 }r tonne, delivered ex wharf Sydney $1,650 per nne

Solomons; Delivered Honiara prices recently were 40c per lb, Ist grade: 30c, 2nd grade Western Samoa: —Ungraded beans, $23.50 (1001 b).

CHILLIES:— Solomons, Central Co-op.

Association pays at Honiara for dry tabasco Ist grade, 35c to 36c per lb. 2nd grade, 25c per lb.

Greenacres Ltd buys long red at 14c per lb.

COFFEE;— PNG June 24. Good quality. A Grade 280 c per kg B Grade 275 c C Grade 272 c. Y

Grade 272 c (ex. store, Sydney)

Western Samoa:— Recently WSTEC ground and dried beans. 60 sene per lb wholesale.

PEANUTS:— PNG Sydney agents reported recently fob. Lae; Kernels, white Spanish. 19c per lb.

BROOMCORN:— Fiji, Ist grade, 16Vic per lb, 2nd grade, 14'/ic per lb RICE (Aust): — PNG: Dried brown, 25 kg bags, $298 94 per tonne. Vitamin enriched white, 25 kg bags. $303.94 per tonne, all fow Sydney/Melbourne Pacific Islands: Calrose med grain white, 25 kg bags. $3lO per tonne. Kulu long grain white, 25 kg bags, $355 per tonne. All prices cif, Sydney/Melbourne RUBBER:— Singapore. June 22, 52c per kg.

VANILLA BEANS:— Prices recently were: White and yellow label processing standard packs. $7.50, green label $7 40 cif Sydney Tonga P 4 20 fob Nukualofa; P 4.50 Melbourne TROCHUS:— Solomons: Private companies pay 16c per lb for good quality BLACK LIP:— Solomons: Private companies pay 10c-15c per lb for good quality.

BECHE-DE-MER:— Solomons Private com panies pay: Ist grade. $1 40 per lb; 2nd grade, $1 per lb; 3rd grade. 80c per lb GREEN SNAIL:— Solomons: Private com panies pay 25c per lb

Exchange Rates

FIJI:— June 24 Through Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda. First National City Bank, Aust. $ on Fiji buying SFI = SAO 87.

COOK IS, NIUE:— New Zealand currency is used.

NEW HEBRIDES:—June 24: Through Banque

Nationale de Paris (Sydney), Indosuez Bank, ANZ Bank. Bank of NSW, National Bank of Aust, Commercial Banking Co of Sydney, Commercial Bank of Aust., Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp., Barclays Bank International SAI = FNH 95 28 (buying), 93.60 (selling) airmail transfer rate WESTERN SAMOA; — Through Bank of Western Samoa, controlled from NZ SWSI (tala) = SAO 97 (buying) TONGA: — Tonga dollar (pa'anga) = SAO 89

(buying).

Norfolk Is., Solomon Is., Gl, Nauru:

Australain currency used, no exchange payable in transactions with Australia PAPUA NEW GUINEA:— PNG kina and toea used, no exchange payable, at present, in transac tions with Australia

French Pacific Colonies Pacific

francs (CFP) are used in New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Is. and Fr Polynesia, French Bank, Sydney, on June 24. quoted, SAI = 107 19 CFP (buying), 105 30 CFP (selling) Paris-London £1 = 8 4125 francs (buying). 8 4025 (selling) CFP London £1 = 152 9545 CFP (buying), 1 52 7727 CFP (selling) CFP to 1 metropolitan franc, 18 43 (buying), 1 7 94 (selling).

Banks should be approached for daily rates.