Feb. 2, 1903.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
5.5l 
OUR COCONUT PRODUCTS IN 1902, 
The tabular statements which we issued 
as a Supplement to all our subscribers last 
month, shew that the Coconut Products 
of the Island have had another good year 
as regards volume. In prices, too, 1902 has 
been a satisfactory year, although for the 
latter half of it they compare unfavourably 
with those which ruled during the last few 
months of 1901, when Copra ranged between 
R55 and R62 75 per candy— select parcels 
fetching even K65 and KGfi— against R.52'50, 
which has been the top price for abonu 
three or four months past. But Coconut Oil 
in 1901 ran up from K.S75 on 1st October to 
KlSTs^O on 31st December, while last year it 
fluctuated but little between R.370 and R3S0. 
Hence 1903 has not opened as brightly for 
the products of our most useful and valuable 
palm as the previous year whicli, however, 
was in many ways an exceptional one. 
Turning to our tables it will be seen that 
the quantity of Coconut Oil exported— 
512,498 cwt.— was the largest luring the 
decade; but it was exceeded eleven years ago 
(in 1892) when 550,977 cwt. were shipped. 
That figure has never been realised since ; 
bub the quantity of Copra exported in 1892 
was little more than one-third of that for 
last year, and Desiccated Nut less than one- 
fourth. Most of our Oil in 1902 went to the 
United Kingdom— as, indeed, it generally 
(loes — save, we believe in 1897 and 1898 when 
India displaced the mother-country. But 
whereas the United Kingdom was responsible 
for 301,647 cwt. last year, or about three-fifths 
of the total export, India took only 64,370 
cwt. or less than one-half of the quantity she 
had in 1901. Can any of our expert readers 
enlighten us as to the causes of the heavy 
falling-off, and the curious shifting of trade 
in the two years we have specially named ? 
America takes second place with 92,996— a 
bigger leap from 27,205 cwt. in 1901, than 
India, which has third place, has taken 
backwards. Austria, with 24,774 cwt. comes 
next— being the only other country with 
more than 20,000 cwt. to its credit. 
In Copra, the mother-country takes a 
decidedly back-pl.ace, having had only I2i9ijs 
cwt., out of 374,796 cwt. exported. Germany 
takes the lead, having displaced Prance which 
used at one time to lead, with 179,819 cwt. 
against 110,144 cwt. for France, Russia making 
a bad third with 33,136 cwt., and Belgium 
and Austria coming next. The United King- 
dom may be said to be at the bottom of 
the list, as Holland with 476 cwt. and India 
with only 5 cwt. can sc:ircely count. If, 
therefore, the claim put forward on behalf of 
England, that she makes more Coconut 
butter than the Continental countries which 
are advertising it so largely, the manufacture 
must be direct from the Oil, and not from 
the raw material which France and Germanj'- 
probably specially value for the residuum 
of v^oonac as food for stock. But notwith- 
standing the high prices which prevailed, 
and the large contracts of which we Ixeard 
70 
a good deal early in the year, the total 
quantity of Copra exported is disappointing, 
having been only 374,796 cwt. against 
439,885 cwt. in 1901, and 506,277 cwt. in 1898 
—the record year for Copra, as 1892 is for 
Oil. In Desiccated Coconut, however, 1902, 
with over 10^ minion lb. sent away, stands 
facile princeps, the quantity exported the 
previous year having been about 2] million 
lb. less. The industry, as our readers are 
aware, is a comparatively new one, having 
found a place in our export tables for the 
first time only in 1891, with but 416,a301b. 
Its steady growth without any fluctuation, 
save for a small one in 1893-94, is evidence 
that the industry is on a soimd footing, 
and that there is no accumulation of stocks, 
and no out running of the supply over the 
demand. As a rule, we believe, the out- 
turn is regulated by orders ; and the gradual 
development is proof that the manufacture is 
growing in popularity for confectionery. 
The United Kingdom is here, again, our 
best customer, with nearly 10 million lb. 
to its credit, America coming next with 
2,249,143 lb., and Germany showing kinship 
with both countries with 2,067,490 lb., followed 
by Australia with 793,050 lb.! Another hopeful 
future about the industry is that it is 
exriorted to thirteen out of the nineteen 
countries which And a place in our export 
tables, while Copra flnds a market only in 
eight, at any rate in direct sliipments. 
In Coconuts in the shell again, the year 
is a disappointing one with about 122 i^'l' 
lion nuts against nearly 15 millions in each of 
the two previous years, and considerably over 
13^ millions in 1897 and 1898. As in Oil and 
in the Desiccated kernel, the mother-country 
comes first, having taken over three-tourths 
of the outturn. Africa, curiously, is the 
next best customer with 1,375,621 and 
Germany the next with 1,169,780. The nine 
other customers which follow have been 
content with much less than quarter-a- 
million nuts each. We cannot say that we 
regard with satisfaction the fact that 1902 
is the record year for Poonac, with 247,697 
cwt. sent away, since the cattle of the Island 
•are not particularly well-fed, and they would 
be all the better of getting, as food, the refuse 
of all the Oil expressed in the Island. But 
as there is little chance of the village 
cattle being allowed the luxury, we cannot 
complain of buyers being found in Belgium 
and Germany, whicli are practically our 
only two customers for all the Poonac we 
do not use ourselves, save 200 cwt. which is 
distributed among four other countries. The 
exports of Coir, in the shape of iarn. Rope 
and Fibre, call for no special remark— the 
quantities having been only fair average 
ones ; but prices have ruled fairly high, and 
there is practically an imlimited quantity 
of Uoir available, if only the demand grows. 
As it is, Singapore takes almost all our Kope — 
over 15,000 cwt., leaving less than 300 cwt. for 
four other countries. The United Kingdom 
is ng.iiti our largest customer for Fibre and 
Y'aru. Who will say, after this, that there 
is not room for the expansion of trade in 
low-country ])roducts in Ameiioa— the w.iy 
for which can be shown at the Louisiana 
Exposition. 
