‘Administration report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1887-88.’ [‎18v] (34/72)

32
ADMINISTEATION REPORT OP THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL
p art iil-eepoet on the tbade op south persia foe
the yeae 1887.
Owing mainly to great dearness of grain in
in a state o£ stagnation. The rain all in eonse.uently short and
scanty (about 5| inches at Bus ir ), ^ ' i i npr 1^4 nounds and of barley to 12 krans
for the same quantity. This led io the regm 1 wag dall and aar e m nn CT ative
In thesec .rcumstanoes trade.n all articles ot^ V ^ shiraz havin!? st0 p ped
during t f ° th t ma ny sma llermerchants, already weakened by the depressed state of
rrtrie f ml ~t y Fortunately, however, at this juncture matters took a
ml favourable turn, and the increase in prices of opium helped to aver further misfortun .
The diminished amount of importations of piece-goods, sugar, &o., doubtless caused favourable
fluctuations in the native markets, and the latter part of the year was more satisfactory to
merchants than anticipated. Probably this does not imply so much a material increase
of profits as a saving of losses, owing to reduced and more cautious operations, but towards the
end of the year considerable sales of Manchester goods were made at improved prices. The year
1888 opened with much more hopeful prospects in every way, a good and seasona jle 1am a J
justifying expectations of an abundant harvest this year.
'Exports.
The opium crop was one of the smallest recorded for several years, and owing to a brisk
demand in the European and China markets prices increased
0pium - considerably, the results to those engaged in this trade being
highly satisfactory, and proving the saving of several Persian merchants. The adulteration
of Persian opium, formerly extensively practised, has now greatly decreased, and when lots are
rejected it is probably from lack of skill in the manipulation or other causes.
The tobacco crop was fairly large. This cultivation is gradually increasing, but hitherto
a large proportion (nearly one-third it is said) of the crops is
Tobacco. spoiled by early rains and bad weather. To avoid this serious
loss the cultivators are having recourse to early sowings with some success, the crops
being gathered at a correspondingly earlier season.
The grain crops in South Persia, as well as in Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. , having been so scanty,
prices remained very high, the interdict on exportation of
grain was kept on, and, as before mentioned, supplies were
imported from India to Persia. So far as the chief ports were concerned, the embargo
was observed, but the petty chiefs of districts north of Bushire found it to their interest to
prevent the cultivators of their districts from sending their wheat and barley to the Bnshire
market, and compelled them to use Bunder Reeg, whence quantities of the grain were shipped
to Busrah and other ports. This, of course, enhanced the scarcity and dearness of grain
generally.
The cotton crop in South Persia was comparatively large
Cotton. and prices higher than for some time past, owing to a good
demand in Bombay.
Imports,
The returns show again a decrease in the import of these goods, but an improvement set
Manchester goods. in durin & the latter months of the year, which is expected to
continue and strengthen during the current year.
A decline is also visible in the importation of loaf sugar. This is understood to be due
Sua . ar> to two causes—firstly, the large losses sustained on shipments
in previous years ; and, secondly, large arrivals of sugar from
Russia, which reached as far as Ispahan, a market hitherto supplied from Bushire. The
competition between English and Mauritius sugars on the one hand, and Russian and
other beet sugars on the other, may possibly be affected by the abolition of bounties, if
the measures contemplated are observed as regards Persia. Large losses were experienced in