Dec. 1894.] PKODUCTION OF FOOD GRAINS IN INDIA. 



173 



are entirely vegetarians. Precise returns cannot, therefore, be 

 furnished as to the total food-supply of India, nor any portion of 

 it, still less of the actual requirements of the people ; but such 

 information as is available on these subjects is relatively of 

 value. 



It would, it is urged, be contrary to all experience to 

 maintain that the people of India were from year to year 

 continuing to export a larger share of their agricultural produce 

 than was consistent with their own advantage. The fallacy, 

 for example, of their being supposed to export wheat and 

 rice, and through the greed of money to be living more and 

 more on inferior food stuffs, is completely exposed by the 

 perfectly easily ascertained fact that it is not in food stuffs 

 alone that India has for years past steadily augmented her 

 supplies to foreign countries. On the contrary, the exports of 

 food-grains have shown a very much lower rate of expansion 

 than has been the case with any other group of products, e.g., 

 fibres, oil-seeds, &c. The following were the exports of grain 

 (wheat, rice, pulse, gram, &c., &c.) to foreign countries during 

 the eleven years to 1892-3 : — 





Cwt. 



1882-83 



- 46,556,000 



1883-84 



- 49,220,000 



1884-85 



- 89,217,000 



1885-86 



- 50,425,000 



1886-87 



- 51,009,000 



1887-88 



- 44,605,650 



1888-89 



- 42,416,000 



1889-90 



- 42,687,000 



1890-91 



- 50,149,000 



1891-92 



- 66,385,872 



1892-93 



- 44,900,4^30 



Thus the exports of 1892-93 were actually less than those of 

 1882-83. The sudden expansion of 1891-92 is attributed to 

 European conditions that created a most unusual demand for 

 wheat, and the fact that India was able to respond, and to thus 

 double her normal exports of that grain, is said to prove that 

 the trade is a perfectly natural one, and one which cannot be 

 regarded as draining away abnormally the food supply of the 

 people. The production of wheat, cotton, oil seeds, or other 

 Indian exports can be readily demonstrated as directly governed 

 by the conditions of the European market. When favourable 

 prices are anticipated, the area of production is at once increased. 

 Mr. J. E. O'Conor speaking of the food production, says : " The 

 area has increased in about the same ratio as the population, 

 and the exports are as yet so absolutely insignificant, that 

 their withdrawal from stock has no appreciable effect on the 

 quantity available from the enormous area cultivated. If 

 the exports should very largely increase hereafter — • which. 



