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722 



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EXPORTS OF INDIAN TEA AND OTHER 



PRODUCTS IN TEN MONTHS : 1880-7. 



Today concludes the Indian revenue yecar, 

 fend in' about six weeks hence we may look for 

 the Annual Report of the Customs Department. 

 Meantime it may be interesting to look at some 

 of the items in the accounts for the ten months 

 ended January, which are before us. And first as 

 to tea. Tne export of the Indian leaf in pounds 

 for ten months of three years has been 



1884-85 ... 58,381,0001b. 



1885-8G ... 63,887,000 „ 



188G-87 ... 73,37,000 „ 



It will be observed that the increase in 188G-87 

 over 1881-85, is not less than 15 millions of pounds. 

 Of the quantity exported in the latest period of 

 ten months, the proportions were 71,559,000 to the 

 United Kingdom ; 1,-120,000 to Australia and less 

 than 100,000 to the United States ! To other 

 countries went '258,000, so that out of 73j, millions 

 of pounds of Indian tea exported, only ij million 

 pounds were diverted from Britain. The local con- 

 sumption of Indian tea is usually taken at 2 millions 

 of pounds, but China tea continues still to be im- 

 ported, some to be consumed and some to be "re- 

 exported to Afghanistan and other foreign Stales 

 bordering on India." The figures for the teu mouths 

 were : — 



From China 

 Other countries ... 



Total... 



But in foreign merchandise ex- 

 ported we find tea given at... 



l.',663,000 lb, 



572,000 „ 



3,235,0001b. 

 1,557,000 „ 



Retained ... 1,678,000 lb. 



The export of Indian lea direct from India to 

 the United States has averaged only about 100,000 

 pounds for the ten months of the three past years, 

 the figures really showing a decrease from 150,000 

 pounds in 1881-85 to 9'.),000 in the latest period. 

 Exports to Australia have fluctuated, but on the 

 whole increased, beginning with 1,066,000, rising 

 to 1,621,000 and going down to 1,420,000. We 

 observe that the 73:!i millions of pounds exported 

 are valued for Customs purposes at R14,177,000, 

 or somewhat over 8 annas per lb. average.— Turn- 

 ing now to coffee, we find that contrary to the 

 process in Ceylon, there has been a steady though 

 not large increase in the periods of ten months, 

 thus : — 



1884 85 .. .. 206,000 cwt. 



1885-86 .. .. 211,000 ., 

 1886-87 .. .. 245,000 „ 



The total export for the 12 months will probably 

 range about 275,000. Of foreign coffee (from Aden 

 to Bombay, no doubt), India imported in the three 

 periods, 34,787 ; 14,000; and 19,666 cwt. In the case 

 of India, it cannot be doubted that a much larger 

 proportion of the coffee locally grown is locally 

 consumed than is the case in Ceylon. Of the 

 foreign coffee imported, the following quantities 

 were again exported ; — 13,600 ; 5,000 ; and 4,000 cwt. 

 We think it quite probable that the total coffee 

 crop grown in India is fully 400,000 cwt., of which 

 125,000 cwt, is locally consumed. — The export of 

 coconut oil from India has gone down rapidly and 

 largely, thus :— 



1884-85 . . . . 1,054,000 gallons, 

 1885-86 .. .. 916,000 



1886.87 .. .. 770,000 „ 



The export of cardamoms has, with fluctuations, 

 increased, thus:— 163,000 J 23^,000; and ;J10,000 ib, , 



The same may be said of cinchona bark, the ex- 

 ports being fractional compared with those of 

 Ceylon. The returns are 411,000; 656,000; and 

 568,000 lb. It is clear that even now and allowing for 

 the bark used up for manufacture and experiments, 

 private properties have but added little to the bark 

 from the Government gardens. The exports of 

 bark from India in the year are not likely to 

 exceed 700,000 lb., the total produce being 

 probably under a million. The exports of un- 

 manufactured coir have sunk to insio-nificance 

 thus :— 14,000 ; 7,000; and 9,800 cwt. °It would 

 appear that now nearly all the coir is manufactured, 

 for the figures for the article in this shape (ex- 

 cluding cordage which is mixed up with jute and 

 other rope), show up thus :— 175,000 ; 155,000; 

 and 170,000 cwt. But manufactures of coir (again 

 excluding rope) were imported thus :— 9,700 ; 

 11,000 ; and 11,(;66 cwt. The exports of coconuts 

 from India are, as might be expected, very small, rang- 

 ing from 213,000 to 117,000 and 164,000 ; but copra 

 was exported thus :— 15,000 ; 21,000 and 8,800 cwt. 

 Coconuts were imported at the rates following :— 

 15,129,000 ; 11,500,000 ; and 14,058,000 ; while the 

 increase in the imports of copra has been very 

 large : -38,400 ; 92,400 ; and 106,000' cwt. The 

 import is mainly from Ceylon, we suppose. Be- 

 sides paddy or rice in the husk, which is not 

 shewn separately for Ceylon, the exports of rice 

 to our island have been : — 



1884-85 



1885-86 

 1886-87 



Quantity. 



Cwt. 

 2,447,000 

 2,.5G5,000 

 2,450,000 



Value. 

 R. 



8,588,000 



10,024,000 



9,222,000 



The increase in the exports of wheat from India 

 has been marvellous,— from 13,000,000 cwt. to 

 19,416,000 cwt. and 21,172,000 cwt. The total export 

 for the 12 months will probably be 25 millions of 

 cwt., against somewhat less than 20 millions of 

 rice. Arecanuts, or, as they are termed in these 

 accounts " betel nuts " are classed, curiously 

 enough, as spices, and some of the facts em- 

 bodied are curious, one being the much higher 

 valuation placed on Ceylon nuts than on those 

 from the Straits. For instance 11,533,000 pounds 

 imported from Ceylon in the 10 months are 

 valued at 1,540,000 rupees ; while 14,417,000 of 

 Straits nuts are down ' for only Rl, 387, 000. As 

 Penang derives its name from the arecanut, we 

 were prepared to find the Straits the great source 

 of supply of this masticatory. Sumatra adds a fair 

 quantity. Out of 26,820,000 pounds imported in the 

 10 months, less than half was contributed by Ceylon, 

 but our produce gets credited for more than half of the 

 whole value. Notwithstanding local manufacture of 

 febrifuges, India still imports quinine, some of it, we 

 suppose, prepared in London from Government bark, 

 The figures for the three periods are :— 10,707 lb,, 

 R519,772; 11,004 1b, R416,672; 9,320 lb. R282, 165. 

 Cinnamon has no heading in the imports, but 

 cassia lignea (coarse cinnamon from China) figures 

 for 13,255 cwt, 12,290 cwt, and 24,315 cwt. Castor oil 

 is an importaKt item in the export trade of India, 

 the quantity for ten months being 2,339,000 gallons, 

 valued at R963,G00. " Mica " (commercially called 

 talc) having recently attracted attention here we 

 may say that in the ten months the exports from 

 India were 780 cwt, valued at R191,700. The ex^ 

 ports of linseed have averaged 8 millions of cwt., 

 the value ranging about R47,500,000. The duty 

 levied on rice has ranged about R 1,000,000 or, say, 

 Rl, 500,000 for the 12 months. This is the only 

 export liable to duty, and the only imports su bun 



d«ned are salt; Jifjuors, opium and a few otiiei aitieJeg, 



