British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 821

CHAPTER XIX.

annual quota amounts to 20,000 tons of which about 15,000 tons is distributed direct to the population. The remainder, some 5,000 tons, is allocated for industrial purposes in the production of jams, chocolate, squashes, etc. The quota of 20,000 tons was fixed in 1943 and has since remained unaltered. Because of the increase in the population the quantity of sugar going into direct consumption is steadily increasing with a consequent depletion in the amount available for industrial use. It is hoped that an increase in the quota will be granted in 1946. If this is not forthcoming it is estimated that a cut of 23% in industrial issues will be necessary. Apart from the effects on the industry this will deprive the population of a proportion of the manufactured articles containing sugar by which the ration has hitherto been supplemented. In 1930-31 the consumption averaged 11.11 kgms. a head and in 1937-38, 18.31 kgms.

MEAT.

7. In general, the Jewish community consumes beef and the Arab community consumes mutton. This is not a bard and fast rule since members of both communities eat both types of meat, but it is of sufficiently close application to justify a distinction between habits of consumption. This distinction is adopted in the compilation of the respective Arab and Jewish food baskets for the purpose of calculating the cost of living index. Before the war, a large proportion of the meat consumed by both communities was imported, mainly in the form of animals for slaughter. Table 5 below shows the numbers of animals imported and the number of animals slaughtered in municipal and local council slaughter houses in the years 1930, 1931, 1937, 1938 and 1945.

Table 5.

NUMBER OF ANIMALS IMPORTED FOR SLAUGHTER AND SLAUGHTERED.

1930 1931 1937 1938 19!5
--------- - --~~-
(a) Imported for slaughter
Cattle (incl. calves) 6,681 8,155 27,101 28,130 87,887
Goats and kids 19,927 22,496 85,812 40,461 37,767
Sheep and lambs 76,672 110,100 287,888 100,837 138,778
Other animals for food 4 89 650 128

(b) slaughtered for food in local authority slaughter houses
Cattle (incl. calves) 20,706 23,419 53,590 55,044 69,857
Goats and kids 79,918 60,734 100,838 67,251 76,945
Sheep and lambs 149,254 187,728 219,929 184,425 206,801
Camels 822 410 461 424 7,079
Pigs 570 516 862 612 ll",570
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