Page 62 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

18 imsmuK.

Aninml The diminution of 1,238/. in animal products ia due to the scanty
product*. shipments of shells from Bushire, to which j>ort they were brought
in former years from the Arab coast; now Bahrein has become
the centre.
Opium. The export of opium adv.inced 33,G21/. on 1903, but still fell
short of the average. The British market proved much more
satisfactory than the Chinese, and exports to London were 25,000/.
in excess of those in 1905. As usual much speculation ensued
amongst Persian buyers, who having advanced money to growers
were completed to take up their purchases and incurred substantial
losses when prices fell in llong-Kong. As in the case of insoluble
gum in Bombay the sale early in the year of some 200 cases,
which reached Hong-Kong at 4,000 to 5,000 krans with favourable
dollar exchange in Bombay, led to the sending forward of large
consignments from Bushire. As a sequel for three months no
sales were advised from. Hong-Kong, and something like 700 to
800 chests arc said to be still on the IIong-Kong market.
Prices in Bushire ranged from 3,500 to 4,000 krans ((37/. to 77/.)
per chest. In accordance with a resolution of tlie Bombay Govern­
ment opium chests transhippjd via Bombay are no longer required
to weigh J I0] lbs. but 110 lbs., the } lb. for leaf and dust allowance
having been abolished. The transhipment fee leviable there is,
for consignments of not more than 150 chests, 5 rs. per chest of
140 lbs. and 2 rs. S a. per chest of 70 lbs. The opium trade forms
so large and so profitable a part of the produce exported via Bushire
that the imposition of an embargo by China on the imports of
foreign opium will undoubtedly hit many cultivators and merchants
very hard ; at present native traders are incredulous as regards the
proposals under discussion.
Raw wtx*l Raw wool also showed an increase of 5,342/., all destined for
the United Kingdom. Reports for the current year tend to show
that the clip lias been good and above the average. There is a
large stock in Kazcrun and no disease has so far been prevalent
amongst the flocks. In recent years a large proportion of Persian
wool has been utilised in the country in the manufacture of inferior
rags, carpets, felts, &c., the use and consumption of which is annually
increasing at enhanced prices; for this reason better use can be
made of the wool in the country than by exporting it. The price
of wool varied from 100 to 100 krans (1/. lGs. 4d. to 2/. 18s. 2d.) per
Hashcm man of 124 lbs. Persian and Koweit wools have been severely
censured by Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce at various times on
account of the non-eiiruination of dirt and locks and the generally
filthy condition of parcels. There are some Persians who realise
this, and the Arabi fleeces of the principal wool merchant in
Bushire, whose ageuts yearly superintend the shearing of some
50,000 sheep, are claimed to be carefully washed- These sheep
and the best wool come from the districts of Fclahiyyeh, Ma’shoor
and Hcndian along the coast towards the Euphrates delta. It is
chiefly in the case of rough-class Turki wool that there ia an