506 



MAIZE 



CHAP, crease in the area planted to maize; farmers realized that they 

 had a good local market, worth competing for. 



The increase in local production was so rapid that the 

 imports into the Transvaal fell from 375,147 muids in 1907 

 to 171,219 in 1908, a reduction of about 55 per cent. From 

 1904 to 1908 the value of the imports of maize and maize 

 products fell from £218,689 to £74,017, a reduction of about 

 66 per cent. 



These figures are instructive in view of the fact that the 

 consumption was increasing during this period, owing to the 

 increase in mine development and in number of bovs employed. 

 No doubt this decline, which largely affected Natal, helped 

 to induce that colony to look elsewhere and oversea for a 

 new market. 



There is no question that there will be an enormous in- 

 crease in the production of South African maize within the 

 near future. The falling off in exports during the season 

 191 1 -1 2 and the poor prospects for the season I 91 2-1 3 are 

 merely temporary phases, due to a series of unprecedented 

 droughts ; to be able to do as well as South Africa has done 

 under such adverse conditions, proves the soundness of the 

 basis on which the industry has been established. But it is 

 equally clear that however good her local markets may be, she 

 must look to an export trade for the building up and main- 

 tenance of the industry. The time is coming when, instead of 

 exporting grain for the manufacture oversea of articles which 

 are required for consumption in South Africa, large factories 

 will be established for the local manufacture of maize products. 

 In time, also, every farmer will be feeding his stock on maize 

 and turning it into beef, mutton, pork, wool, or ostrich feathers 



1 Figures furnished by the South African Customs Statistical Bureau. 



