1912.] 



Agricultural Imports in 191 i. 



835 



IMPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN 1911. 



The total value of the principal articles of food im- 

 ported into the United Kingdom in 191 1 was ,£190,712,000, 

 as against ,£189,418,000 in 1910, ,£191,505,000 in 1909, 

 ^183,957,000 in J 9o8, ^188,353,000 in 1907, ,£181,604,000 

 in 1906, and an average of ,£177,047,000 in the three years 

 1 903-1 905. These figures represent the value (cost, insur- 

 ance, and freight), as declared to the Customs officers at the 

 port of arrival, of the grain and flour, meat and animals for 

 food, butter, cheese, eggs, condensed milk, fruit and vege- 

 tables, hops, lard, and margarine, which may be grouped 

 together as agricultural food products in the sense that they 

 compete more or less directly with the home supply. 



The increase in value during the past year as compared 

 with 1910 was due to the increased cost, on the whole, of the 

 meat (of all kinds) and dairy produce imported, the total value 

 of the items included under the general heading of meat 

 amounting to ^49,737,000, as compared with ,£48,879,000 

 in 19 10, and the imports of butter, cheese, and eggs together 

 amounting to ,£39,708,000 in 191 1, as compared with 

 £38,599,000 in 1910. On the other hand, the value of grain 

 and grain products was less than in 1910 by ;£i, 500,000. 



Cattle and Beef. — The past year has seen a further decline 

 in the number of live cattle imported into the United 

 Kingdom, the number received being 200,397, or about one- 

 third of the imports in 1895. Only two countries (apart from 

 the Channel Islands) participate in this trade, viz., the United 

 States and Canada. An increased export from the United 

 States to this country was accompanied by a decreased export 

 from Canada. 



The decline in this direction was more than compensated 

 for by the extensive imports of beef, chiefly chilled and 

 frozen, which amounted in the aggregate to 7,36^2,434 cwt., 

 the highest figure yet recorded. The imports of fresh beef, 

 however, decreased by nearly 50,000 cwt. The main source 

 of supply of chilled and frozen beef is Argentina, from which 

 country 3,753,140 cwt. of chilled beef, and 2,357,878 cwt. 

 of frozen beef were received. A noticeable feature here is 

 the extension of the chilled beef trade (representing the better 



