142 



an addition to present manures. Hence, if the 15,000 

 tons of dried fish now exported were used in this country, 

 it would well suffice for 300,000 acres, and should pro- 

 duce, at three fourths of its nominal fertilizing- capacity, 

 above 100 million pounds of grain, and 135 million 

 pounds of straw.* 



6. Why does this enormous amount of potential food 

 leave this country ? Simply because its productive value 

 is not recognized. Why is its value not recognized ? 

 Because there is no proper organization either properly 

 to prepare and put the stuff on the market as food ^ or to 

 explain its value and push its use as 2^ fertilizer. It is far 

 easier for Indian merchants and agents to buy it upon 

 commission and sell it on the spot to firms who will ship 

 it off to some country where the foreign tea planter or 

 export merchant will utilize it, than to take it up-country 

 and sell it either as dried food or as manure. It will be 

 said that trade and industry always seek the line of least 

 resistance ; they take the easiest opening. This is so ; 

 but if this line is damaging to the country or even less 

 productive than it should be, it is for us to see whether a 

 better line cannot be opened. It is largely a question of 

 knc»wledge, enterprise, push, organization, and I now 

 propose to stimulate and help these factors of good busi- 

 ness, and to assist in creating both a desirable product 

 and a demand. 



7. What is the actual loss to the country ? We lose 

 the fish altogether both as food and as manure ; we gain 

 not its (Japanese) sale value but only a fraction of it. I 

 found the price in Japanese ports to be about Rs. no 

 in bond ; 70 yen or Rs. 107 was recently mentioned to 

 me in India as the ordinary price obtained in Japan. 

 Now this country does not get that sum even approxi- 

 mately ; the fishermen who catch and dry the fish get 

 an average of from Rs. 8 to 10 per ton for the wet fish 

 or Rs. 18 to 25 for the dried ; on an average Rs. 20 

 to 22 per ton of dry fish. The brokers who buy from 

 them and sell to contractors get a rupee or two per 

 ton, and the contractors get their profit from the 

 exporting firms usually, if not always, European ; it is 

 said that a ton of dried sardines free of sand costs 



* See last footnote. 



