TROPICAL REGIONS 111 



works have been established on the La Plata estuary. Paraguay 

 still supplies the Brazilian market with this product to the extent 

 of its surplus. The general prosperity of Brazil has also assisted 

 in encouraging the raising of cattle in the country to supply local 

 markets with jerked and fresh meat. 1 



The chief pastoral provinces in tropical Brazil are Matto Grosso 

 and Goyaz in the interior, whence cattle are driven great distances 

 to the coastal markets ; Minas Geraes, which is the chief dairy 

 province, and Sao Paulo, also have large numbers of cattle. Except 

 in Sao Paulo, all kinds of stock-raising are carried on in a most 

 primitive way, and the products are far from export standard. 

 The Brazilian government, as before noted, is actively encouraging 

 the improvement of live-stock, and it is possible that great advances 

 will be made, since the pastoral resources of the country are most 

 abundant, but not rich. 2 Excellent rough grazing lands appear 

 to exist in almost unlimited quantities on these highlands. 



There is no essential reason why tropical Brazil should not 

 produce a much greater quantity of finished stock, particularly of 

 cattle than it does, nor why the stock should not be of a much 

 better quality. There are indications that Brazil may shortly 

 become an important beef-exporting country, since British and 

 American cattle and meat companies 3 have already established 

 themselves in the country with a view to producing and exporting 

 refrigerated beef. 4 



What tropical Brazil requires in order to become a great meat- 

 exporting country is, first, increased and improved means of com- 

 munication, then attention directed to improvements in pastures 

 and to the care of stock, and finally the organisation of the whole 

 industry on modern lines as in Argentina. It is possible that 

 exports of mutton may be added to those of beef when the latter 

 are properly organised. 



The population of tropical Brazil is small in proportion to its 

 area, and the country is so rich in vegetable food-products that 

 it will be a long time before the " vast areas " of pastoral country 

 are encroached upon by advancing population for closer settle- 

 ment. Brazil has already begun to be an exporter of refrigerated 

 beef, and possibly before long may figure as one of the more con- 

 siderable sources of surplus supplies of meat for the outside world. 



1 The imports of meat into Brazil, which amounted to 123 million Ibs. in 

 1903, fell to 80 million Ibs. in 1910, and to 57 million Ibs. in 1912. 



' The pasture lands of Brazil . . . need to be improved by the judicious 

 selection of native plants for fodder and by the acclimatisation of good foreign 

 species." Brazilian Commission for Economic Expansion, Vol. II. p. 177. 



Alfalfa is not yet much cultivated, but is said to have a great future. Brazil 

 in 1911, Chap, xviii., also work above quoted, p. 177. 



8 See U.S. Daily Commerce Reports, Oct. 5th, 1915, and Aug. 30th, 1916, 

 Supplement 40 c. 



* Concerning the rise of the meat export trade of Brazil since the year 

 1914, see Chap, iv., above, p. 66, Note 1. 



