Edible Products. 



[January, 1909. 



Between Calcutta and Valdivostock 

 to Save Transhipment at Colombo. 



The duty on tea in Germany was reduced 

 in 1906 to Ud. per lb., and this, aided by 

 a vigorous" medical campaign against 

 beer and coffee, is likely to encourage 

 imports. Holland and Belgium are two 

 other promising markets. As regards the 



Competition with Ceylon, 



it remains to be seen how far the intro- 

 duction of rubber there will ultimately 

 affect production, for the cultivation 

 tends to oust tea from lower levels where 

 the yield is generally greater than at 

 higher altitudes. The 



1906. 



Million lbs. Per cent. 



India ... 183-8 ... 57 2 

 Ceylon ... 106'3 ... 33-1 

 China ... 13-2 ... 4-1 



Java ... 126 ... 3"9 



Results of Improved Prospects 

 in the tea trade are illustrated by the 

 appreciation of shares in the market. 

 Mr. George Seton has calculated that the 

 shares of 170 Tea Companies registered 

 in London have enhanced in value from 

 £14,400,000 to £21,600,000, or by no less 

 than 50 per cent, between January, 1905, 

 and November, 1907. China supplied half 

 the requirements of the United Kingdom 

 twenty years ago ; in 1907, the proportion 

 had been reduced to six per cent and is 

 only sustained at that level by the com- 

 petitive price for lower grades of Indian 

 and Ceylon teas. The imports of tea into 

 the United Kingdom in 1907 were as 

 follows : — 



1907- 



Million lbs. Per cent. 

 171-4 ... 54 

 107-5 ... 33-9 

 18-8 

 9-1 



5-9 

 2-9 



>-191bs. as 



The consumption per capita in the United Kingdom in 1907 was 

 compared with 6-13 lbs. in the previous year. 



The following figures shew the quantity and value of tea exported from 

 India in the last five years 



1903- 4 



1904- 5 



1905- 6 



1906- 7 



1907- 8 



Quantity 

 lbs. 

 207,159,793 

 211,887,158 

 214,223,788 

 233,653,637 

 227,021,657 



Rs. 



8,55,79,327 

 8,46,54,867 

 8,84,76,0^7 

 9,85,77,642 

 10,30,03,486 



Value. 



£. 



5,705,288 

 5,643,658 

 5,898,402 

 6,571,843 



The figures for 1906-7 represented a record both in quantity and value, but 

 the progress in quantity was not maintained in 1907-08, when it declined by 6-63 

 million lbs. or 2'8 per cent., though the rise in value was of Rs. 44-26 lakhs (£295,000) 

 or 4*5 per cent. — the increase in specific value being one of about 7'6 per cent. 



The quantities of tea exported to the principal countries in the last three 

 years have been as follows in thousands of lbs. :— 





1905-6. 



1906-7. 



1907-8. 



United Kingdom 



166,591 



176,170 



169,325 



Canada 



15,019 



14,515 



4,731 



Russia 



9,988 



13,761 



15,407 



Australia 



7,729 



9,499 



11,090 



Turkey in Asia 



3,543 



3,101 



3,504 



Ceylon 



2,101 



4,818 



8,881 



China 



3,076 



4,820 



7,502 



Persia 



1,102 .. 



929 



1.578 



United States... 



2,175 



1,739 



2,086 



Other countries 



2,900 



4,302 .. 



2,919 



Though the figures for the United 

 Kingdom tend proportionately to re- 

 duce, as direct shipments take the 

 place of consignments to London on 

 optional bills of lading, her share of the 

 total exports stands at 74'6 per cent. 

 The expansion in the Ceylon and China 

 figures is due to Russian requirements, 

 and the heavy decline in direct ship- 

 ments to Canada should not be regarded 

 as an index of a contracting market. 

 Russia and Australia have made marked 

 advances, The figures to Australia were 



swelled by a replacement of the ship- 

 ment of 750,000 lbs. lost by fire on the 

 ss. Fortunalus. 



Another feature of the year's trade 

 which should be noticed is the increase 

 in volume of sales by auction in 



Calcutta in Preference to 

 Mincing Lane. 

 and London has further suffered as the 

 emporium of imports into the United 

 Kingdom by the competition of lower 



