968 



The Agricultural Index Number. 



[Feb., 



Prices of agricultural produce in England and Wales, accord- 

 ing to the index figures prepared each month by the Ministry, 



mi. a • it were slightly lower in December than in 

 j. ne agricultural . , ■ . -. .-. P . 



T , , the previous month, the average 01 prices 



Index Number. , . F , , on ' , *?, 1 



being about 82 per cent, above the pre-war 



level, as compared with 84 per cent, in November. Except 

 for the month of August, when a rise of 16 points was 

 recorded, due principally to a substantial advance in the price 

 of milk, the decline was continuous throughout the year. The 

 following table shows the percentage increase in prices of agri- 

 cultural produce, in each month during the past three years, as 

 compared with the average of the three years 1911-13 : — 



Month. 





1919. 



1920. 



1921. 







Per cent. 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



January ... 





us 



213 



186 



February ... 





150 



205 



172 



March 





150 



199 



158 



April 





153 



199 



141 



May 





132 



169 



112 



June 





128 



164 



102 



July 





141 



174 



100 



August 





138 



177 



116 



September . . . 





148 



181 



105 



October 





166 



191 



90 



November . . . 





182 



197 



84 



December . . . 





207 



194 



82 





Year 



158 



192 



121 



No very great changes were recorded from November to 

 December. Wheat and oats recovered in value to some extent, 

 after falling continuously from June onwards, but barley was 

 again cheaper. Live stock of all descriptions were easier in 

 value, with the exception of fat and store sheep, which showed 

 no appreciable alteration from the November level. Eggs 

 reached their highest point at the end of November, and the 

 December average of prices was substantially lower than in the 

 previous month. Dairy produce increased in value, the average 

 price paid to producers for milk delivered under contract to 

 large towns showing an advance of about ljd. per gallon on the 

 month; in comparison with pre-war prices, milk easily main- 

 tains its position as the dearest form of agricultural produce, 

 and it is not surprising that of all descriptions of live stock, 

 dairy cows show the heaviest advance in value compared with 

 19li-13. Of the other descriptions of produce sold by farmers, 

 the most important are hay and potatoes, both of which showed 

 slight declines on the month. 



