1906.J Imports of Agricultural Produce. 587- 



of the population. The declared value of the fresh beef im- 

 ported was 35s. 5d. per cwt., as compared with 37s. in 1904 and 

 40s. 3d. in 1903. Live cattle averaged £iy 2s. id. per head, as 

 against £17 14s. 4d. in 1904. 



The imports of live- sheep showed a somewhat noticeable 

 decline from 382,200 in 1904 to 183,100 in 1905, this being the 

 smallest number recorded since 1893. There was some increase 

 in the quantity of fresh mutton received. As in the beef trade, 

 the imports of mutton from Argentina (1,462,400 cwt.) have 

 become of increasing importance, and more than compensate for 

 loss of the former trade in live sheep. They were in the past 

 year only slightly exceeded by the receipts of mutton from 

 New Zealand (1,525,000 cwt.), though in addition 505,400 cwt. 

 were received from Australia. 



The declared value of the sheep was 30s. 5d., or yd. more: 

 than in the preceding year, while fresh mutton averaged 38s. 6d. 

 per cwt., compared with 39s. 3d. in 1904. 



Table I. 

 Imports of Live and Dead Meat. 





Quantities. 



Val 



ues. 



Description. 





















1904. 



1905. 



1904. 



1905. 



Cattle ... 



Sheep ... 

 Swine ... 



No. 



549,532 

 382,240 



No. 



565,139 

 183,084 

 150 



£ 



9,736,436 

 591,984 



£ 



9,665,806 



278,753 

 300 



Total Live Animals... 





10,328,420 



9,944,859 



Beef, Fresh 



„ Salted ... 



Mutton, Fresh 



Pork, Fresh - 



„ Salted 



Bacon ... 

 Hams ... ... 



Meat, Unenumerated, 



Salted, or Fresh 

 Meat, Preserved 

 Rabbits (dead) 



Cwt. 

 4,350,031 



144,304 

 3,494,782 



610,485 



243,842 



5,452,3H 

 1,244,003 



631,012 

 813,018 



533,698 



Cwt. 



5,037,521 

 142,806 

 3,810,969 



505,633 

 205,965 

 5,498,960 

 i,3 i8 ,3oi 



670,144 

 833,029 

 656,078 



8,058,341 

 187,288 

 6,861,531 

 1,378,467 

 294,080 

 12,832,142 

 3, 1 04,999 



1,164,442 



2.-458,59* 

 • 7^0,737 



8,9n,593 

 202,417 

 7,336,480 

 1,162,370 

 252,606 



12,774,855 

 3,118,372 



1,225,692 

 2,647,189 

 835,929 



Total Dead Meat ... 



17,517,486 



18,679,406 



37,120,618 



38,467,503 



The next item of importance in the above table is bacon, 

 the imports of which were more than in 1903 and 1904, 

 though below those of the years 1 898-1 901. The increase 



