February, 1909.] 



128 



OILS AND FATS. 



THE COCONUT PALM. 



Export op thk Phoducts op thu 

 Coconut Palm in 1^08 in Exckss op 

 tub Exports op 1907 by Cwts, 088,875. 



The complete export; returns of the 

 Ceylon Chamber of Commerce made up 

 to 31st December, 1908, are now before 

 us. Iu going through the figures which 

 refer to the export of copra, coconut oil, 

 desiccated coconuts and coconut poonac, 

 we are confronted with the powerful 

 illustration of the declaration by the 

 ancient Polynesien, that "he who plants 

 a coconut, leaves for his children home, 

 raiment and food." 



It will be in the recollection of readers 

 that the year 1908 was ushered on in 

 with depressed prices tor copra, coconut 

 oil, desiccated cocouuts and poonac, the 

 depression having dragged on until 

 September of that year. During these 

 months of depressed prices, cultiva- 

 tors, owners of large acreages of land 

 planted with coconut, speculators in 

 copra, were reduced to a state of great 

 apprehension and anxiety. In addition 

 to the low prices which then ruled, the 

 tightness of the local market made the 

 prospects of the capitalists and the 

 wage-winners most gloomy and dis- 

 heartening, particularly in view of the 

 fact that copra fetched in February, 1907, 

 the unprecedented price of R-. 86 per 

 candy. The discouraging state of t hings 

 which actually betran about the latter 

 part of the year 1907 was due to a very 

 considerable extent to the financial 

 crisis iu America, which continued until 

 about September, 1908. The expected 

 and most welcome revival in general 

 trade began to assert itself in October 

 last year, and gave fresh hope' and 

 vigour to those of weaker heart. In fact, 

 it is a matter for congratulation that 

 the improvement in the value of copra, 

 a commodity of great importance to 

 the natives as Well as to European 

 merchants, who are exporters and owners 

 of oil mills, has firmed up to the com- 

 paratively remunerative price of Rs. 62 

 to Rs. Q3'50 per candy as reported in these 

 columns of the 23rd for estate copra. 

 Rs. 60-75 was paid on the 23rd December 

 last :— 



Readers are referred to the sub-joined 

 statement for particulars as to the com- 

 parative quantities of the coconut 

 products exported from the island to all 

 parts of the world during the years 1906, 

 1907, and 1908 



In 1906 coconut oil, copra, de- 

 siccated nuts and coconut 

 poonac to the extent uf cwts. 1.429,807 

 In 1907 „ „ ... 1,2)9,117 



Iul-JU8 „ „ ... 1,988,292 

 Last year's exportation shows a note- 

 worthy increase of cwts. 688,875 as com- 

 pared with 1907. The exportation in 

 1906 was ahead of 1907 in quantity. "We 

 have the satisfaction of the record for 

 price, yiz., Rs. 86 for copra to the credit 

 of 1907. 



Subjoined are quantities of copra, 

 coconut oil, desiccated nuts, and coconut 

 poonac exported iu 1908 to the United 

 Kingdom, the Continent of Europe, and 

 to other countries : — 



C.N. D.C. C.N. 

 Copra. Oil Nuts Poonac 

 Cwts. Cwts. Cwts. Cwts. 



United King- 



dom 

 Austria 

 Belgium 

 France 

 Germany 

 Holland 

 Denmark 

 Italy 

 Russia 

 Spaiu 



Norway and 

 Sweden ... 



America ... 



Australia, 

 Africa, etc 



30,531 333,250 121,505 

 ..102,017 

 ..114,937 

 .. 12,595 

 ..230,358 



67,733 

 ~ 3,192 



89,842 

 6,000 

 182,400 



15,670 

 5,247 

 745 

 1,129 

 2,795 



2,789 — 



8.233 136.928 

 1,120 — 



40,200 167,460 



8,482 - 



2,278 2 



1.234 - 



3,271 506 

 166,145 42,402 



62 35,941 9,587 — 



768,795 670,121 214,734 304,642 



Grand Total ... Cwts. 1,988,292 

 These figures shew that Germany was 

 the largest purchaser of copra in 1908, 

 next comes Russia, then Belgium and 

 Austria (Belgium though a smaller 

 country has beaten Austria in the 



Burchase of copra by cwts. 12,920), 

 enmark cwts. 89,842. Prance and Italy 

 take the lowest position in the order of 

 quantity. 



Of Coconut Oil Ceylon exported to the 

 United Kingdom cwts. 333,250, nearly 

 twice as much as was exported to 

 America, which comes next in import- 

 ance, Austria taking third position in 

 the order of importance, whilst Belgium 

 comes next to Austria with cwts. 38,192, 

 and Germany fifth in order with cwts. 

 15,670. 



Ib must not, however, bo forgotten 

 that the resources of the coconut palm 

 are not exhausted with the four chi e f 



