Rice.

Burmese

rice.

Rice trade

rice and wheat. Rice is exported from British Burma, from Bengal, and from Madras. The latter Presidency usually despatches about 2 million cwts. a year, chiefly to its own emigrant coolies in Ceylon; but in 1877-78, this trade was almost entirely checked by the famine. In that year, besides supplying the necessities of Madras, Bengal was able to send nearly 6 million cwts. to foreign ports. The Burmese rice is chiefly exported for distillation or starch; the Bengal exports are chiefly intended for food, whether in Ceylon, the Mauritius, the Straits Settlements, the West Indies, or Europe.

From the point of view of the English market, rice means almost entirely Burmese rice, which is annually exported to the amount of about 20 million cwts., valued at over 5 millions sterling. In the Indian tables, this is all entered as consigned to the United Kingdom; although, as a matter of fact, the rice fleets from Burma only call for orders at Falmouth, and are there diverted to various continental ports. Burmese rice is known in the trade as 'five parts cargo rice,' being but imperfectly husked before shipment, so that it contains about one part in five of paddy or unhusked rice. It has a thick, coarse grain, and is principally utilized for distillation. or for conversion into starch.

In 1877-78, the exports of rice to the United Kingdom in 1878; amounted to 10,488,198 cwts., being slightly less than the average, but about half of this total is known to be reexported to foreign countries; the direct exports to the Continent were only 68,839 cwts. to Germany, and 20,117 to France. Siam and Cochin China supply the wants of China, but India has a practical monopoly of the European market. In 1878-79, after India had begun to recover from the famine, although prices continued to rule high, the total export of rice was 21 million tons, valued at 9 millions sterling (£8,978,951).

The total foreign exports of rice and paddy from British in 1882-83. India in 1882-83 amounted to 31,258,288 cwts., valued at £8,476,327. Of the total quantity, 12,381,486 cwts, valued at £3,211,398, went to the United Kingdom, although, as explained above, a large proportion is re-exported to other European countries. The other countries largely consuming Indian rice were. -the Straits Settlements, 4,092,521 cwts.; Egypt, 2,973,703 cwts.; Ceylon, 2,883,534 cwts.; Malta, 2,732,442 cwts.; Mauritius, 1,227,671 cwts.; Arabia, 832,574 cwts.; South America, 786,557 cwts.; France, 605,735 cwts.; Italy, 165,662 cwts.; Germany, 124,447 cwts., etc. Of the total exports of 31,258,288 cwts., 21,330,587 cwts., or 68.2 per

EXPORTS OF RICE AND WHEAT.

573

cent., were exported from British Burma; 7,855,151 cwts., or 251 per cent., from Bengal; 1,448,540 cwts. from Madras; 552,537 cwts. from Bombay; and 71,473 cwts. from Sind.

rice.

A similar duty duty on trade has since

An export duty is levied on rice in India at the rate of Export 3 ánnás per maund, or about 6d. per cwt. on wheat was repealed in 1873, and that conspicuously advanced.

The

In 1874-75, the export of wheat was about 1 million cwts. Export of Forthwith it increased year by year, until in 1877-78 it exwheat. ceeded 6 million cwts., valued at nearly 3 millions sterling. In 1878-79, the quantity fell to 1 million cwts., valued at £520,138, owing to the general failure of the harvest in the producing Districts. But as railways open up the country, and the cultivators find a steady market in England, India may, as already mentioned, some day become a rival to America and Russia in the wheat trade of the world. Punjab is a great and rapidly developing wheat-growing tract in India; but up till recently the supplies have chiefly come from the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, being collected at Cawnpur, and thence despatched by rail to Calcutta. As indicated below, Bombay has now taken the place of Calcutta in the exportation of wheat, the opening of the RájputánaMálwá Railway having put Bombay in direct communication with the Punjab wheat tract. In 1877-78, out of the Wheat total of 6,340,150 cwts., Bengal exported 4,546,062 cwts., Bombay 1,159,443, and Sind 607,470. The chief countries of destination were-the United Kingdom, 5,731,349 cwts. ; the Mauritius, 154,888; and France, 116,674.

trade in

1878;

Since 1877-78, the wheat export trade has rapidly extended, and in the year 1882-83 it stood at 14,193,763 cwts., valued in 1882-83. at £6,088,934. Nearly one-half of the total exports, or 6,575,160 cwts., went to the United Kingdom, 3,567,712 cwts. to France, 1,458,898 cwts. to Belgium, 799,550 cwts. to Egypt, 578,246 cwts. to Holland, 176,063 cwts. to Italy, 494,098 cwts. to Gibraltar, and 163,358 cwts. to Malta. Of the total wheat, Bombay exported 6,957,752 cwts., or 49'2 per cent.; Calcutta, 4,439,405 cwts., or 314 per cent.; and Karáchi, 2,732,275 cwts., or 19'3 per cent., the small balance being sent from Madras and Rangoon.

It is said that Italy is beginning to utilize the hard, white Indian wheat for the manufacture of macaroni.

Oil-seeds were freed in 1875 from their former export duty Exports of of 3 per cent. ad valorem. During the ten previous years, the oil-seeds in average annual export was only about 4 million cwts.; but

1877-78.

Oil-seeds the fiscal change, coinciding with an augmented demand in in 1877-78. Europe, has since trebled the Indian export. In 1877-78. the export of oil-seeds amounted to 12,187,020 cwts., valued at 7 millions sterling. Of this, Bengal contributed 7,799,220 cwts., and Bombay 3,179,475 cwts. Linseed and rape are consigned mainly to the United Kingdom, while France takes almost the entire quantity of til or gingelly. In 1879, the export of oil-seeds fell to 7 million cwts., valued at in 1882-83. £4,682,512. In 1882-83, exports of oil-seeds had again increased to 13,147,982 cwts., valued at £7,205,924, of which 5,898,383 cwts., valued at £3,397,840, went from Bombay, and 5,592,896 cwts., valued at £2,817,140, from Bengal. The principal countries of destination were the United Kingdom, 6,409,134 cwts.; France, 3,923,964 cwts.; Belgium, 1,001,164 cwts.; Egypt, 631,388 cwts.; Italy, 445,773 cwts. ; United States, 321,688 cwts.; and Holland, 254,014. Besides oilseeds, British India exported in 1882-83, 3,644,632 gallons of expressed oil, and 201,116 cwts. of oil-cake, of the total value of £445,529.

Exports of indigo in 1877-78;

In actual amount, although not in relative importance, indigo holds its own, notwithstanding the competition of aniline dyes. The export of 1877-78 amounted to 120,605 cwts, valued at £3,494,334. Of this total, Bengal sent 99.402 cwts., and Madras 16,899 cwts. In 1878-79, the export of indigo amounted to 105,051 cwts., valued at £2,960,463. In 1882-83; 1882-83, the exports of indigo amounted to 141,041 cwts., of the value of £3,912,997, of which 99,715 cwts., valued at £3,023,540, were sent from Bengal; and 33,474 cwts., valued at £763,096, from Madras. The most noticeable feature in this trade is the diminishing proportion sent direct to England, and the wide distribution of the remainder. In 1882-83, only 60,645 cwts. were consigned direct to the United Kingdom; 1882-83. 27,285 cwts., or about one-fifth, to the United States; 16.076 cwts. to Egypt, thence probably re-shipped to Europe; 15,513 cwts. to France; 8394 cwts. to Austria; 6077 cwts. to Persia; 4033 cwts. to Turkey; and 1607 cwts. to Italy.

its destination,

Safflower.

Myro

balams.

Of other dyes, the export of safflower has fallen off, being only in demand in the United Kingdom, and as a rouge in China and Japan; the export in 1877-78 was 3698 cwts., valued at £14,881. In 1882-83, the exports of safflower amounted to 3008 cwts., value £9203. The export of myrobalams, on the other hand, was greatly stimulated by the RussoTurkish War, which interrupted the supply of valonica and galls from Asia Minor. The quantity rose from 286,350 cwts.

EXPORTS: LAC: TEA: COFFEE.

575

in 1875-76 to 537,055 cwts. in 1877-78, valued in the latter year at £230,526. In 1882-83, the exports of myrobalams were 471,167 cwts., value £184,697. Practically the whole is sent to the United Kingdom. Turmeric exports amounted Turmeric. to 146,865 cwts. in 1877-78, valued at £123,766, of which the United Kingdom took about one-half. In 1882-83, the exports of turmeric had dropped to 63,570 cwts., valued at £37,207. Lac-dye, like other kinds of lac, shows a depressed trade, the Lac. exports in 1877-78 having been 9570 cwts., valued at £29,009. In 1882-83, the exports of lac-dye had fallen to 3927 cwts., valued at £4610, the whole of which was sent to the United Kingdom and the United States.

tea.

No Indian export has made such steady progress as tea, Exports of which has multiplied more than seven-fold in the space of fifteen years. In 1867-68, the amount was only 7,811,429 lbs.; by 1872-73, it had reached 17,920,439 lbs.; in 1878–79, without a single step of retrogression, it had further risen to 34,800,027 lbs., valued at £3,170,118; and in 1882-83, to a total of 58,233,345 lbs., of the value of £3,738,842. Until recently, Indian tea was practically confined to the United Kingdom, but markets have recently been opened out in Australia and the United States. The exports to the United Kingdom in 1882-83 amounted to 54,108,114 lbs., to Australia 2,772,461 lbs., and to the United States 676,507 lbs.

Its growing appears from

Indian tea has now a recognised position in the London Indian and market, generally averaging about 4d. per lb. higher in China tea. value than Chinese tea; but it has failed to win acceptance in most other countries, excepting Australia. importance as compared with Chinese tea the following figures. In 1872, the imports of Indian tea into England were to those of Chinese tea as 1 to 9'7; in 1874, as I to 7'5; in 1876, as 1 to 5'6; and in 1878, as 1 to 4'7. The exports of coffee from India are stationary, if not Coffee. declining. The highest amount during the past fifteen years was 507,296 cwts. in 1871-72, the lowest amount 298,587 cwts. in 1877-78, valued at £1,338,499. In 1878-79, the export of coffee was 342,268 cwts., valued at £1,548,481. The export of coffee had slightly increased by 1882-83 to 364,008 cwts., but showed a decrease in value to £1,419,131.

manufac

Among manufactured goods, cotton and jute deserve notice, Export of although by far the greater part of the produce of the Indian cotton mills is consumed locally. The value of Indian cotton-manufac- tures, tured goods exported in 1877-78 was £1,142,732; in 1879-80, in 1877-78; £1,644,125; and in 1882-83, £2,093,146. The exports of

cotton

tures,

Export of twist and yarn, spun in the Bombay mills, increased from manufac- 3 million lbs. in 1874-75 to 15 million lbs. in 1877-78, valued at £682,058. The chief places of destination were China, 13,762,133 lbs.; Aden, 1,181,120 lbs.; and Arabia, 393,371 lbs. The export of twist and yarn in in 1882-83. 1878-79 was valued at £937,698. By 1882-83, the exports of twist and yarn, nearly all from Bombay, had increased to 44,859,175 lbs., value £1,874,464, chiefly to China, Japan, Java, and Aden. Indian-made piece-goods belong to two classes. Coloured goods, woven in hand-looms, are annually exported from Madras to Ceylon and the Straits, to the value of about £230,000, the quantity being about 8 million yards; while in 1877-78, grey goods from the Bombay mills were sent to Aden, Arabia, Zanzibar, and the Mekran coast, amounting to over 10 million yards, and valued at £141,509. By 1882-83, the export of grey goods from Bombay had increased to 41,799,370 yards; value £466,260.

Exports of

jute manufactures.

Gunnybags,

in 1877-78;

Gunnybags,

in 1882-83.

Jute manufactures consist of gunny-bags, gunny cloth, and rope and twine, almost entirely the produce of the Calcutta mills. In these, the value of the exports tends to increase faster than the quantity, having multiplied nearly four-fold in the five years ending 1882-83. In 1877-78, the total export of jute manufactures was valued at £771,127, and in 1879-80 at £1,098,434 Gunny-bags, for the packing of wheat, rice, and wool, were exported in that year to the number of more than 26 millions, valued at £729,669. Of this total, £298,000 (including by far the most valuable bags) was sent to Australia,

162,000 to the Straits, £80,000 to the United States, £77,000 to Egypt, £32,000 to China, and £81,000 to other countries, which comprises a considerable quantity destined for England. In 1878-79, the export of gunny-bags had increased to 45 millions. Of gunny cloth in pieces, nearly 3 million yards were exported, almost entirely to the United States; in 1878-79, these exports had increased to upwards of 4 million yards. Of rope and twine, 4428 cwts. were exported in 1877-78, valued at £5443.

By 1882-83, the number of gunny-bags exported had increased to 66,737,654, of a value of £1,431,584, the principal countries to which they were sent being Australia, China, the Straits Settlements, and the United States. Gunny cloth to the extent of 4,601,247 yards was also exported in the same year to the value of £55,802; as were also rope and twine, 1346 cwts., valued at £1872. The total export of Indian jute manufactures in 1882-83 was valued at £1,487,831, or double the figure (£771,127) for 1877-78.