Page 119 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

BUSHIRE. 19

less than that of 190G. Prices in Shiraz opened at about 110 krans
(about 21. 3s., per Shiraz man of 7 Jibs., but rose in June to 150 krans
(about 21. 19s.); in October they even went to 165 and 180 krana
(about 3l. 5s..to 3l. 10s.) for prepared opium, falling in March, 1908,
to 120 loans (21. 7s.). It is.satisfactory to note that there is an
improvement in the percentage of morphia and the standard of the
drug, and with the China import closing it is very necessary that
the Persian dealer should, for the welfare of his business in general,
maintain the standard.
A Persian merchant in Shiraz has ascribed the great falling-off
of the export from Persia to Hong-Kong of recent years—when it
used to amount to from 8,000 to 12,000 chests—to the capture of
the Formosan market by the Japanese. In any case the London
market cannot generally be counted upon to take much Persian
opium, and Persian trade will suffer (a financial loss) all round
through an effective prohibition of the import into China. One
Bushire merchant of many years’ experience has stated that such
a stoppage now or later would prove a national misfortune td
Persia.
Exports from Bushire alone to Hong-Kong have been valued as
follows during recent }’ears :—
£
1900 343,800*
1901 30S,4SS*
1903 131,430
1904 184.75S
1905 104.9G7 !
1906-07. 109,814
• Total export chiefly for China.
Wheat.—The harvest of 1907 was very plentiful in the districts,
and there was a large supply over from the two previous years.
Prices in Busliire generally fall soon after the harvests, but Bunder
Abbas was a large purchaser in 1907 owing to local shortage until
August, when a surplus sent down prices to 14 J krans (5s. 8d.).
It was satisfactory to find the export to the United Kingdom
renewed for the first time since the institution of the tariff of 1903,
but this was solely due to the high prices in Europe, the heavy
Persian duty amounting to 3 krans (Is. 3d.) per bag barring all
legitimate export in ordinary years.
In most wheat producing countries there is no export duty on
wheat, in Turkey there is an ad valorem duty of 1 per cent., but the
duty in Persia is at present almost prohibitive, viz., 4-Jd. per 65 lbs.
The rapid rise in prices in Europe did not benefit many in Bushire,
for earlier in the year the Dashtistan and coast districts, finding a
sure market at the Kanin or Basra, diverted most of their shipments
by native boat in that direction, and heavy buying sent up prices
to 18 krans (7s. Id.) per 124 lbs. by the beginning of November.
Prices after that rapidly mounted, as the rains did not appear at
the usual time and made further shipments to London unprofitable.
At the same time an agitation was made by & small section of
(468) B 2

.