THE CUBA REVIEW 



33 



Central Camaguey 



SUGAR REVIEW 



Specially written for The Cuba Review by Willett & Gray, New York, X. Y. 



Our last report for this magazine was dated May 7, 1918. 



The market has been rather quiet during the period under review with all questions per- 

 taining to sugar strictly under Government control, but there have been one or two items of 

 interest which have transpired, the principal one of which having been the announcement of 

 the International Sugar Committee on May 28th, 1918, that they had decided to take up the 

 option in the Cuban Agreement in Paragraph 4, which expires June 15th, 1918. This o]>tion 

 covers an additional 2.50,000 tons of Cuba sugar, so that the total quantity now purchased 

 amounts to 2,750,000 tons. There are also two additional options, expiring on July 15th and 

 August 1 .oth, which have not y^et been taken up. Each of these options also covers 250.000 tons 

 of sugar f produced, and at this wiiting it looks as if this will be the case, as it appears to us 

 that the final outttirn will exceed our estimate of 3,200,000 tons sIightly^ Messrs. Giima- 

 Mejer's cable to us on June 8th, gave the total production to IVIay 31st as. 2,710,465 tons with 

 the number of centrals still at work as 77. Our latest cable advices report that the weather 

 conditions are fair, although earlier reports indicated that the rainy season had commenced. 



The allotments of Cuban sugar during May totalled over 300,000 tons, but allotments up 

 to date during June have not been so large as during the early days of May, and we hardly 

 expect that June shipments will reach this quantity. The operation of German submarines 

 along the coast will, if continued, likewise tend to hold back the exports from Cuba. Many of 

 the sugar ships are old, at least one of those torpedoed recently has been carrying sugar for a 

 great many years, and as these boats are mostly slow and unarmed they are easy prey for sub- 

 marines. Total stocks of sugar in the three Atlantic Ports amount to 87,341 tons, against 

 319,529 tons last year, but as the country is pretty well supplied with sugar the demand is 

 rather slow, so there is but little uneasiness manifested at present, although the situation may 

 quickly^ become precarious should the sinkings continue. 



Our domestic cane crop in Louisiana is gi'owing finely and presents a very good appearance, 

 although the question as regards labor is somewhat serious. 



As mentioned above, the refined situation is now much better and the country is well 

 supplied with sugar. Refiners make offerings only irregularly as frequently there are one or two 



