684 



The Agricultural Index Number. 



[Not., 





Percentage Increase 





Percentage Tncreas* 



itioiiin. 



in I 



'rices. 



Mont h . 



in Prices. 





1921 



1922 





1921 1922 



January ... 



... 183 



... 75 



July t : 



... 112 ... 72 



February 



... 167 



... 79 



August .. 



... 131 ... 67 



March 



... 150 



... 77 



fcSei -leinber 



... IK) ... 57 



Ap:il 



... 149 



... 70 



October .. 



... 86 



May ... 



... 119 



... 71 



November 



... 79 



June 



... 112 



... 68 



December 



... 76 



Nearly all 



descriptions of prod 



uce shared 



in the reduction, the 



only increase being in the case of eggs. Wheat, barley and oats 



all fell heavily, and the average prices during September were 

 only from 23 to 31 per cent, higher than in the corresponding 

 month of 1911 to 1913. 



Potatoes were also cheaper and daring September were at 

 practically pre-war level, while a slight reduction occurred in the 

 case of hay. 



All descriptions of live stock experienced a fall, pigs being least 

 affected. Milk was unchanged in price, but cheese and butter 

 were relatively cheaper than in August, as compared with the 

 corresponding months in 1911 to 1913. Prices of poultry re- 

 mained practically unchanged, but eggs advanced sharply, 

 decidedly more so than was customary between August and 

 September before the War. 



The reduction in the general index number of all produce was 

 materially assisted by a further reduction in the prices of fruit 

 and vegetables, the former averaging about 16 per cent, below 

 and vegetables 20 per cent, above the prices ruling in September 

 before the War. 



The following table shows the average increase during recent 

 months in the value of the principal commodities sold by the 

 farmer : — 



Percentage Increase as compared with the Average Prices ruling m 



THE CORRESPONDING MONTHS OF 1911-13. 







April. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Wheat 





57 



62 



60 



53 



53 



23 



Barley 





49 



49 



58 



49 



48 



26 



Oats ... 





49 



53 



57 



55 



59 



31 



Fat cattle 





65 



70 



71 



70 



70 



58 



Fat sbeep 





128 



140 



121 



107 



103 



90 



Fat pigs 





90 



91 



82 



91 



92 



84 



Eggs 





89 



50 



69 



80 • 



64 



96 



Poultry 





83 



110 



116 



103 



85 



85 



Milk ... 





42 



27 



28 



53 



70 



70 



Butter 





49 



54 



59 



79 



77 



76 



Cbeese 





46 



48 



55 



50 



51 



41 



Potatoes 





95 . 



140 



• 80 



75 



14 



1 



Hay ... 





28 



33 



35 



37 



54 



52 



* 



* 



* 





* 



* 







