Produce

Prices

Unlass otharwlsa shown, stslad quotations ara n Australian currancy. Australian dollar (Mar 2) iquaHad: Naw Zaaland, $1.1502 (buying), $1.1444 sailing); Papua Naw Qulnaa, K 0.8855 (buying), (0.8788 (sailing); Fiji, $1.0352 (buying), $1.0112 sailing); Wastam Samoa, tala 0.8599 (buying), tala I. (aalllng); Tonga, pa anga 1.0275 (buying. >a’anga 0.9830 (sailing); US, $1.0997 (buying), 11. (sailing); UK, £0.8439 (buying), £0.8385 sailing); Franch Pacific, CFP 100.15 (buying), CFP 18.80 (sailing).

Copra

Copra industries are controlled through copra joards in PNG, the Solomons, the Gilberts, both samoas, Fiji, Tonga, the Cooks and the US Trust territory New Hebrides, French Polynesia and New Caledonia do not have boards and copra is either sold ndividually by growers to overseas buyers or used ocally 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 in New Britain Latest prices are: Per tonne, delivered main ports, lot air dried, K 207, FMS, K 204, smoke dried, $202 [prices include Kl 6 bounty).

FIJI: — The board fixes prices on Philippines copra, taking into account freight, taxes, selling costs, shrinkage, etc Latest prices were: Fiji 1, $245, Fiji 2,

(235, Cas $216

NEW HEBRIDES Copra sold direct by planters lo France and Japan, Burns Philp paying on wharf, Vila cr Santo Dec 14 FNH 13,500; London Feb 11, 187 met irancs 100 kg cif Marseilles.

US TRUST TERRITORY Palau Ist grade $lBO, 2nd grade, $l7O, 3rd grade, $l6O, at district centre, outer islands $155, $145 and $135 for the three grades Yap: $l6O, $l5O and $l4O respectively at district centre, outer islands, $135, $125 and $ll5 respectively Truk, Ponape, Kusaie, Marshalls and Northern Marianas: $l5O, $l4O and $l3O respectively at district centre, outer islands, $125, $ll5 and $lO5.

COOK ISLANDS All production is sold to Abels Ltd, Auckland Prices are based on average world prices for the prior three or six months and remain in force for three months SOLOMON ISLANDS Copra Board pays per lb at Honiara, Yandina and Girzo, 8c Ist grade, T'/zc 2nd grade, S'hc 3rd grade GILBERT ISLANDS $134 40 a ton, or 6c a lb

Western Samoa— Ist Grade, Swsib7.Io,

2nd grade $W5174.00.

TONGA— All copra sold to EEC, Ist grade, SP7O, 2nd grade, SPSB NIUE Standard, $lBO a tonne gross

Other Produce

COCOA — Island rates are based on Ghana price Ghana price on Mar 1 was £stg2,Bl6 ton, cif, UK Continent.

Mar 3, fob Rabaul, export quality, K 3.220 per tonne, delivered ex-wharf Sydney, $3,990 per tonne.

Naw Hebrides London, Feb 11, 1,130 met francs 100 kg Sotomona Delivered Honiara prices recently were 45c per lb Ist grade, 35c 2nd grade CHILLIES Solomons, Honiara buyers pay for dry tabasco, 1 st grade 38c per lb. 2nd grade, 28c per lb Long Red is 20c per lb COFFEE PNG Mar 2 Good quality, per kg: A Grade $6 06; B Grade $6 02; C & Y Grades, $5 98 W. Samoa Recently, WSTEC ground and dried beans. 60c per lb wholesale PEANUTS PNG. Sydney agents reported recently fob Lae, kernals, white Spanish, 19c per lb

BROOMCORN Fiji, Ist grade I6V2C per lb; 2nd grade, 14'/2C per lb; 3rd grade, 4c per lb.

RICE (Aust):— PNG: Dried brown, 25 kilo bags, $298 94 per tonne. Vitamin enriched white, 25 kilo bags, $303.94 per tonne, all fow Sydney/Melbourne.

Pacific lalanda: Calrose med grain, white, 25 kilo bags, $320 per tonne. Kula long grain white, 25 kilo bags, $335 per tonne. All prices cif Sydney/Melbourne.

RUBBER: — Singapore, Mar 1, 52 50c-54.50c 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, $4 50 Melbourne.

TROCHUB Solomons; Co-op and private buyers pay 20c per lb for good quality BLACK LIP — Solomons: Co-op and private buyers pay 26c per lb for good quality GOLD LIP: Solomons: Co-op and private buyers pay 38c per lb.

BECHE-DE-MER Solomons: Co-op and private buyers pay: Ist grade $2 per lb; 2nd grade $1 40 per lb; 3rd grade, $1 10 per lb.

GREEN SNAIL — Solomons: Co-op and private buyers pay 42c per lb.

TORTOISE SHELL:— Solomons: Co-op and private buyers pay max of $5 per lb, depending on quality SANDALWOOD: — New Hebrides, London Feb 11, 345 met francs 100 super ft SHARK FINS- Gilbert Is Co-op Federation pays per lb, $1 32 Ist grade, $1 2nd grade. 80c 3rd grade Solomons: Co-op and private buyers pay $1.20 per lb.

COCONUT OIL: PNG: London, Feb 11, £stg37s ton cif N. Europe ports MEAL CAKE:— PNG, London, Feb 11, £stgll4 25 tonne cif E. Europe ports.

Exchange Rates

FUI- Mar 2, Through Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda, First National City Bank, Aust $ on Fiji, buying $Fl=$A.97 COOK IS., NIUE:— NZ currency is used.

NEW HEBRIDES:— Mar 2, 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 89.503 (buying), FNH 87.671 (selling) airmail transfer rate.

WESTERN SAMOA;— Mar 2, through Bank of Western Samoa, controlled from NZ, T 1 = $A1.19.

TONGA: — Feb 1, PI = $A,97.

Norfolk Is, Solomon Is, Gl, Nauru:—

Australian currency is used, no exchange payable or transactions with Australia.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:— Feb 1, Through PNG Banking Corp, Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of South Pacific, K 1 = $A1.13 FRENCH PACIFIC:— Pacific francs (CFP) are used in New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Is, and French Polynesia. French Bank, Sydney, Mar 2, quoted $A = 100 04 CFP (buying), 98.63 CFP (selling). Paris- London, £1 = 8.5290 francs (buying), 8.5230 francs (selling). CFP-London, £1 = 155 0909 CFP (buying), 154 9090 CFP (selling). CFP to 1 met franc 18.43 (buying), 17.94 (selling).

Banks should b« approached for daily rates.

#Papua New Guinea’s con

troversial new NBC commercial

broadcasting service began op

erations on March 1.

The service has gone ahead de

spite stiff government opposition. A

move launched by the Minister for

Information, Dr Reuben Taureka,

to ban commercial radio in PNG

was defeated in the House of As

sembly in early February by 41

votes to 31.