The times., 1899-01-16
SOUTH AFRIcA's FOOD SUPPLY.
Prospect for Large Cereal Trade
With the United states.

The food supply in South Africa forms
the subject of an interesting report re-
ceived at the State Department from J. @.
Stowe, the United States consul general AZ
Cape Town. He says:
The question of removing the duty on
meat and wheat and animals admitted for
slaughter is now before the parliament OF
this colony. bill has been introduced
and will probably be passed, but cannot
take effect until similar action is taken
by the four other states and colonies COM
posing the customs union The present
high price of meat and the loss OF cattle
and sheep in South Africa from various
causes are the reasons for the introduction
of the bill.
I'm the year ended May 81, 1898, the loss
of cattle from rinderpest in Cape COLONY
was 10000 head: drought, i0.S0o. In Be-
chuanaland dependency of this colony, In
the two years from September. 1896, TO
April, 1898, the loss WAS 1854. Adding
the territories. a total OF l,i00000 were lost.
As to sheep in the period from May. 1897.
10 May, 1855 the total loss in Cape Colony
was: From drought SIS 600; lack of food.
i26,500; wild animals and theft, 1i2, 1000;
total, 1886, ,G00. Adding those lost in the
dependencies of this colony, the loss came
TO nearly 2,0S6000.
I'm many districts the drought has b.
come graver since the returns in May,
1898. The number Of merinO sheep had de-
creased from $500, 900 in 1921, to 1,lSI.060
in 1898 Cape sheep had been reduced from
LOO. coo to 1.300,e00, and lark from
= 700 coo 10 200 900. Goats are being
slaughtered owing to the scarcity o.
food. and with the. exception of Angord
goats. which increased by 35O0D0 in the
four years. the reduction in goats in tai5
period was from 1,S00.OcO to l,53I.t00.
Last year alone from drought and expo
sure the loss was $4,000 in the co,ony
proper.
"AIl over the country farmers are selling
their breeding stock fer slaughter, and so
depleted of meat stock has the land b.
come and so high are the prices, that the
sale of this breeding stock threat ms to
bring about a meat famine. The pric7 of
beef in the cities ranges from led To Is I'd
go to 10 centsl per pound. and the prize
for mutton is about 10d go centsl per
pound. 1t was claimed in parliament that
mutton can be delivered here for 5-Sd
(6 1-2 centsl per pound. which. with the
duty. would make SD 60 II c-ntsl per
pound. Government cold-storage p Is
are being advocated. although some Coz
tend that the municipalities should erect
them.
In reference to wheat and flour. it was
stated in the debate that in America wheat
that a large fall in price was expected;
and that American flour was being adul-
terated.
As an example of the present high cost
of living here, it was said that an emplOye
or the railroad. married and with three
children draws sI2 tS5S.5Ol per month.
that he was Gsl;ssd to spend for food not
less than CT les t$$65,<: rer month. and
for rent a minimum of ei los ts=".9o) per
month. thereby using up all his wages,
leaving nothing for clothing or education.
Flour is coming in now from the United
States. The quotation for the imported ar
ticle is lis Sd ts4.2O. and that of local
manufacture 1Ss Sd (S4.5S) per 100 pounds.
Three steamers are just in. Corn meal is
also arriving from the United States. This
latter article now regularly imported. is
in heavy demand. with inadequate supplies.
Shipments on the sea are sold. and this
months imports are large Quotations are
lSs Sd (Si.5Sl per sack of 196 pounds. Samp
is arriving this month. and is quoted at
los Cd (S3.1S) per sack Two ships are no2
discharging corn and bran from Argentine.
The outlook for large trade with the
United States in cereals. both in the grain
and ground. is good. 1t is 10 be regretted
that the United States cannot share in the
large quantities of frozen meat TO be pur-
chased