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AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. 



Trade in Singapore for 1909. 



We give below a reprint of the official returns of the trade in 

 various agricultural products in the Colony for the past year. Of 

 course the first striking feature is the immense increase of late years 

 in the rubber industry; and the consequent demand for jungle rubbers. 

 Willoughbeia, Jelutong, etc., as well. There was some fear that other 

 products would be neglected in favour of a boom like that of rubber. 

 This has not, however, been altogether the case. Gambier increased 

 in Johore, but at the same time decreased in the Rhio and Lingga 

 Archipelago, where rubber cultivation is rapidly spreading. Pepper 

 again decreased a little in Johore, and everywhere else, except Dutch 

 Borneo. These two products are sure to go down before rubber till 

 at least the demand gets high and brings about an increase of price. 

 Tapioca increased somewhat, but as Mr. Keun points out, with the 

 increase of the rubber industry this is likely to decrease considerably. 

 Tapioca is an important requisite in cloth manufacture, and a few 

 years ago considerable alarm was excited among the English manu- 

 facturers on account of the falling off of the supply, which threatened 

 to interfere very seriously with the factories. 



Pineapples experienced a collapse in price last year and the early 

 part of this owing to over-production. They are now steadying 

 again. The diminution of this cultivation which appears to be very 

 injurious to the soil is more a cause of satisfaction than of regret. 



It is satisfactory to see that the Copra industry is increasing. 

 We have heard of some foolish planters who destroyed good coconut 

 trees to make way for rubber, but on the whole the opening up of 

 rubber estates may increase the Copra industry as many estates have 

 portions of land suitable for coconuts and unsuitable for rubber, 

 which in order to utilize them they put under coconuts. 



The whole report shows a steady progress in cultivation and 

 trade in agricultural produce. — Ed. 



Exports. 



Preserved Pineapples.—Exports totalled 642,033 cases valued at 

 $2,150,946 as against 717,216 cases valued at $2,654,152 in the preced- 

 ing year, the decrease being 75,183 cases and $503,206 value, prices 

 having experienced a heavy fall. Large decreases in exports appear 

 in the first three quarters of the year but the fourth quarter showed 

 improvement. The decrease could only be attributed to overstock in 

 the United Kingdom and to the protective tariff in America which 

 favoured Hawaiian pines. The export decreases to the United States 

 of America amounted to 90,749 cases, to the Continent of Europe 

 8,473 cases, and to the United Kingdom 5,412 cases, but exports to 

 Hongkong, Canada and China showed increases. 



