COTTON 8 r 



In normal times there was always the further difficulty 

 of obtaining direct transport to England, whereas to Mar- 

 seilles, Trieste and also to Greece the opportunities were 

 more frequent. 



Since the war Greece has become much the largest 

 buyer. Owing to shortage of cotton on the Greek market 

 this commodity was purchased from Cyprus rather than 

 from Liverpool, as the freight was lower and war risks much 

 less ; apart from the almost impossibility of obtaining- 

 tonnage. It was the practice before the war for Cypriat 

 merchants to sell c.i.f. Piraeus, but they could not con- 

 tinue this under recent conditions and now sell f.o.b. 

 Cyprus, and this practice is likely to continue. This f.o.b. 

 Cyprus price has lately been about the same as would 

 ordinarily be obtained for c.i.f. Liverpool. Greece has 

 many small filatures willing to take consignments of even 10 

 bales, and the shipment direct or via Alexandria is easier. 



A Cyprus bale weighs about 150 okes. 



The following figures, showing average annual exports 

 of raw cotton at various pre-war periods, indicate the 

 course of the cultivation : 



Period. Average Quantity. Average Value. 



Cwts. 



1880-89 . . . 68,410 147,683 



1890-99 , . . 57,291 91,812 



1900-09 . . . 41,121 92,939 



1910-17 . . . 68,384 213,275 



Prices have varied, as is shown by the values of the 

 following record years : 



Quantity. Value. Average price. 



Cwts. i (. 



1885 (highest export on record) 14,276 29,567 215 



1886 (2nd ditto) . . . 13,887 26,535 i 16 n 



1912 (3rd ditto) . . . 13,808 40,085 2180 



1913 (4th ditto) . . . 13,444 4 693 306 

 1884 (sth ditto) . . . 12,227 26,874 231 



In 1917 there were 13,685 donums under cotton* 

 cultivation. 



It is usual in some parts of the Island, especially in the 

 Kyrenia district, to leave the crop in the ground for two- 

 or three years. This method of cropping is locally known 



