Sir GILBERT PARKERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, what was the total production of cocoa in San Thomé and Principé in 1900, 1905, and 1909, respectively; what percentage of this total production was purchased by British manufacturers; and what the amounts purchased represented in value for the respective years?
§ Sir E. GREYA trade estimate (understood to be reliable) of the production of cocoa in San Thomé and Principé gives, the following figures:—
1900 13,935,000 kilos=13,711 tons of 2,240 lbs. 1905 25,669,000 kilos=25,256 tons of 2,240 lbs. 1909 27,846,000 kilos=27,398 tons of 2,240 lbs. The Portuguese trade returns indicate that practically the whole of the cocoa exported from Portugal originates in San Thomé and Principé, and the imports from Portugal into the United Kingdom may therefore be regarded as consisting of such cocoa. The imports in the years in question were as follows:—
Tons. Value. About 1900 5,305 £356,136 .38 of whole tonnage 1905 6,550 £337,333 .25 of whole tonnage 1909 3,799* £197,034 .13 of whole tonnage * Including 42 tons imported from Portuguese West Africa direct.. There were no direct imports in either of the two other years. There is no means of knowing how much of the San Thomé and Principé cocoa finds its way to the United Kingdom otherwise than from Portugal.