439 



IMPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. 



The accounts relating to the trade and navigation of the 

 United Kingdom for December last, although the figures are 

 still subject to revision, complete the returns of imports 

 and exports for the year, and permit of comparisons being 

 made with former periods. Three-fourths of our imports of 

 agricultural produce may conveniently be classified under the 

 three heads of meat (including live animals for slaughter), 

 dairy produce, and corn. The most salient feature of the first 

 of these groups is the continued growth of our foreign meat 

 supply ; while the returns of dairy produce reveal the some- 

 what novel distinction of a slight decline in the importation 

 of butter, as well as cheese; and the receipts of grain are 

 chiefly characterised by an increase in quantity at an 

 enhanced value. 



The trade returns show our imports of live animals (for 

 food) and dead meat during 1897 and 1898 to have been as 

 shown in Table L below. 



Adding together the various items which make up our 

 foreign meat supply, and expressing the live animals in 

 terms of their estimated average dressed weight, it would 

 appear that the total of imported meats of all kinds (excluding 

 poultry and game) amounted to about 20,633,000 cwts., as 

 compared with 19,550,000 cwts. in 1897, or an increase of 

 1,083,000 cwts. approximately. The total value of these 

 imports amounted to 40, 3 64, 795, or ;£"i,6i5,552 more than in 

 the previous year. 



Turning to the individual items, live cattle show a decline 

 of nearly 50,000 head, and sheep an increase of 52,000 head, 

 during the year. The decline in cattle occurs in the imports 

 from the United States, whence we received 369,478 head as 

 compared with 416,299 in 1897, and from Canada, which 



