The wife of the Rev, J. Cain, the missionary at Dummagúdem, has started a lace-work industry at that station which is known even outside India. Lace-making was originally taught at the Church Missionary Society's boarding-school for girls; and during the famine of 1896-97 Mrs. Cain encouraged the young women who had learnt the art in the school to take it up as a means of livelihood. From that time forth, the industry spread among the wives of the natives round, and there are now 110 workers, most of whom are Christians. Mrs. Cain pays them for their work (Rs. 70 or Rs. 80 a week are expended in wages) and sells it in India, England and Australia. The lace is not the 'pillow lace' made elsewhere in South India, but what is called 'darned net work,' which somewhat resembles Limerick lace in appearance.
Fairs or markets are common in Gódávari. There are as many as 40 under the control of the taluk boards, and the right of collecting the usual fees at them sold in 19O4-05 for over Rs. 21,600. Those which fetched the highest bids were the great cattle-markets at Drákshárámam and Pithápuram, which were leased for Rs. 3,165 and Rs. 2,500 respectively; the Tuni market, which fetched Rs. 2,010; and the Ambájipéta cattle-market, which sold for Rs. 1,625. The markets which chiefly serve the Agency are those of Yelésvaram in Peddápuram taluk and Gókavaram in Rajahmundry. To these resort the petty traders who have direct dealings with the hill men in the interior, and, to some extent, the hill men themselves.
There are one or two centres in each taluk in which live the local merchants who collect grain from the ryots and either export it themselves or sell it to other and larger merchants. The money-lenders are generally also^ grain dealers, as their loans are often paid in kind. A common system, known as jatti, is that by which a ryot borrows money on the security of his crops and undertakes to sell these when harvested to the money-lender at less than the market price. Another usual arrangement, called the várakam or pattúbadi system, is for a ryot to keep a sort of running account with the moneylender, getting small loans from time to time and clearing off the debt, principal and interest, at harvest. Here, again, the grain is sold at less than the market price, the difference being about ten rupees per garce. The ryot is also expected to graze his creditor's cattle and to supply him with vegetables when called upon.
Almost the only noteworthy article of export from Gódávari is its surplus agricultural produce, but a fair quantity of the locally woven, dyed, or stamped cotton goods
