410 



FOREIGN OFFICE REPORTS. [March 1897. 



statistics of imports and exports are the only ones on which 

 much reliance can be placed. 



The imports of wheat during the five years 1890-94 were 

 as follows : — 





Year. 



Bushels. 







1890 



1891 - - 



1892 - 



1893 - 

 1894 



5,925,000 

 5,697,000 

 5,099,000 

 15,380,000 

 15,645,000 







Average 



9,549,000 





The imports of flour during the same period were small, 

 the average being but 193,000 cwts., and they diminished after 

 1891 ; this is attributed to increased duties. The present duties 

 on flour and wheat (7s. per cwt. and 2s. 3d. per bushel 

 respectively) are such as to favour the importation of this food 

 stuff in the form of grain rather than as flour, and it is pointed 

 out that under this arrangement the native millowners have a 

 complete command of the market. It will be noted that the 

 fluctuations in the imports of wheat do not correspond to those 

 in the production, but the amount obtained from abroad is very 

 small compared with the native supply, being under 12 per cent. 



The exports of wheat are small, averaging but 12,000 bushels 

 per annum during the five years 1890-94, but it is supposed 

 that smuggling prevails to a considerable extent, notably across 

 the Portuguese frontier. Exports of flour, however, averaged 

 331,000 cwts., corresponding to 885,000 bushels of wheat. 



So far as the external trade in wheat is concerned, the chief 

 ports of entry appear to be Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, and 

 Alicante ; while three -fourths of the wheat and flour exported 

 goes via Santander, and practically the whole of the remainder 

 from Barcelona. 



Statistics of the coasting trade are also given : about 5,500,000 

 bushels being thus annually conveyed from one part of the 

 kingdom to another, mostly along the Mediterranean coast. 



An attempt has further been made to estimate the internal 

 trade between the various provinces, but as the canal and road 

 traffic has not been taken into account, much reliance cannot be 

 placed upon the results. The provinces exporting most wheat 

 (by rail) to other parts of the kingdom are Valladolid, Valencia, 

 and Palencia, while the chief importing provinces are Barcelona, 

 Alicante, and Madrid. 



The statistics of consumption are obtained by striking a 

 balance between the production and the imports on the one 

 hand, and the amounts required for seed and export on the 

 other. The results are, however, given with great reserve, 

 owing principally to the uncertainty of the figures relating to 



