Page 199 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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Comparison of Commodities Imported.

Year 1356. Yeah 1357.
Commodity.
Average value Average value
Quantity. Quantity.
Rs. Rs.
■
Rice 3,83,832 cwts. 21,57,220 3,55,499 cwts. 18,88,600
Wheat 13,468 „ 72,360 7,198 „ 42,880
Flour 54,231 „ 3,13,820 69,295 „ 3,51,890
Coffee 11,103 bags 4,75,270 8,203 bags 2,87,450
Sugar loaf 7,850 „ 58.330 750 „ 5,420
soft 15,240 cwts. 65,190 47,306 cwts. 2,39,240
„ crystal . 3,150 „ 18,930 1,075 „ 6,470
’Tea 5,657 c/s. 3,77,520 5,652 c/s. 3,23,580
Cottons 23,60,380 21,16,380
Silks 5,95,700 3,79,970

The wholesale price of rice has fallen by about ten per cent, which may reas­
onably be attributed to normal market fluctuations, in supply and demand.
The decrease in the quantity of imported wheat is offset by the increase in the
imports of flour which is the natural result of the bad working of the local flour milling
industry which was started with Government encouragement, but was not properly
worked by those concerned. At first good Iraqi wheat was used; but later this was
mixed with dirty Iranian wheat, and consequently the quality of the flour deteriorated.
Whilst the Customs have suffered no loss by this neglect, purchase money which
might have come into Bahrain has been diverted into Iraq.
The decrease in the quantity of coffee is due to over-stocking, and the import,
of the high quality' Yemeny coffee has fallen off in favour of the good, but cheaper
Singapury coffee.
The decrease in imports of loaf sugar and crystal sugar is due to the
falling-off in trade with Iran mainly, but also to a preference for soft sugar which,
weight for weight, is sweeter. This market was heavily over-stocked in 1355, but is
now steadily recovering from its slump in 1356.
The imports of tea, cotton piece goods, and silks show slight changes, but
wholesale prices have fallen as i6 shown by the following comparative table.
Unit Values of Some Principal Commodities.
Year 1356. Year 1357.
Commodity. Unit.
1 Rs Rs.

Rice : Balara bag 10 8 0 : 10 8 0
» Karach i) 8 8 0' 8 0 0
Rangoon >» 8 12 0 1 7 12 0
Coffee: Yemeny maund 18 0 0 16 0 0
Singapury 9 0 0 8 8 0
ii n
Sugar : J ava (Soft) bag 11 0 0 12 0 0
» Crystal 1$ cwt. 10 0 0 10 0 0
Loaf bag 8 0 0 8 0 0
11 • M
Flour: Indian bag 12 8 0 10 0 0
n Iraqi it 10 0 0 7 8 0
Tea Black (Indian) case 70 0 0 65 0 0
Cottons: Japanese bale 150 0 0 120 0 0
Indian 160 0 0 120 0 0
ii ii
Cement: European bag 2 8 0 2 8 0
Indian 2 4 0 2 2 0
ii ii
Japanese 16 0 16 0
ii ii