294 



The Agricultural Index Number. 



[July, 



The index number of prices of agricultural produce in Eng- 

 land and Wales shows a slight rise for May as compared with 

 The A ri It ftl ^ e P rey i° u s month, prices on the average 



t~a~ tr being about 70 per cent, above the pre- 



Index Number. ° .- . . A r ., 



war level as against 68 per cent, m April 



and 112 per cent, in May, 1921. 



The percentage increase each month since the beginning of 



1919 as compared with the average of the years 1911-13, is shown 



in the following table : — 



Month. 



1919. 



1920. 



1921. 



1922. 





Per cent. 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



January 



148 



213 



186 



77 



February ... 



150 



205 



172 



83 



March ' ... 



150 



199 



158 



82 



April 



153 



199 



141 



68 



May 



132 



169 



112 



70 



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 





Wheat and oats were dearer during May than in April, the 

 average prices during the month being the highest since last 

 autumn. Barley continued the downward movement which has 

 been in evidence since September last. A further slight advance 

 was recorded for fat cattle, but sheep and pigs were slightly 

 cheaper. The price of sheep after rising steadily throughout 

 the year, reached the highest point at the beginning of the 

 month and subsequently experienced an appreciable decline. 



Among the principal alterations in prices as compared with 

 the previous month were those in connection with milk and 

 potatoes. The seasonal fall in milk prices from April to May 

 reduced the average to 9Jd. per gallon or only |d. per gallon 

 higher than the average of the years 1911-13, although, as com- 

 pared with summer prices in pre-war years, current rates show 

 an increase of 2d. per gallon or about 27 per cent. Potatoes 

 experienced a sharp rise from the latter part of April, and this 

 was shown in the index figures for that month. This advance 

 continued into the first half of May, and although prices sub- 

 sequently fell considerably, the average of prices for May was 

 about 170 per cent, above the pre-war level, as against 126 per 

 cent, in April. 



