32 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



TRINIDAD SUGAR-CROP PROSPECTS 

 It is estimated that the Trinidad sugar 

 crop for the 1919 season will approximate 

 55,000 tons, which will be an improve- 

 ment over last year by about 10,000 tons, 

 but still falling considerably below the 

 returns for 1917 and 191G. Tbe total 

 amount of sugar made in Trinidad for the 

 crop year 1918 was 45,256 tons ; for 1917, 

 70,S91 tons; 1916, 64,231 tons; 1915, 58,- 

 882 tons; 1914, 55,488 tons; and 1913, 

 42,331 tons. The average annual output 

 of sugar in Trinidad for the past 10 years 

 has been about 55,000 tons, so that the 

 1919 crop should be an average one. 



During the crop year 1918 a pest of 

 froghoppers did considerable damage, and 

 the pest has continued its damage with 

 the present crop, except on estates that 

 have practically eliminated the pest by 

 improved tillage and drainage, and so 

 have been able to protect and increase 

 their production, making the average pro- 

 duction for the island at least above the 

 returns of last year. 



The bulk of the sugar from the 1919 

 crop will be manufactured into gray 

 crystals and sold to the Royal Commission 

 on the Sugar Supply of England at $124.20 

 per ton f. o. b. Practically all the fac- 

 tories in Trinidad have now started grind- 

 ing sugar cane, and so far the quality of 

 the juice is satisfactory and the prospects 

 fairly good. 



Messrs. Edgar Tripp & Co., Trinidad, 

 in their monthly trade circular state : 



The Barbados Chamber of Commerce is 

 agitating for the abrogation of the Dutch 

 sugar standard in Canada, in which pro- 

 gressive country it is strange to find that 

 this ancient method of test, long dis- 

 carded elsewhere, still obtains. The Trini- 

 dad chamber is affording practical as- 

 sistance in the protest. There appears to 

 be some legislative obstacle in tbe way 

 of the immediate removal of the com- 

 plaint, but if, as expected, united repre- 

 sentations are put forward by the sugar 

 colonies, the Dominion Government will 

 no doubt deal favorably with the matter. 

 In any case it will not affect Trinidad 

 this vear to any extent by reason of the 



bulk of the crop being already disposed 

 of elsewhere. — Consul Henry D. Baker, 

 Trinidad, British West Indies. 



INCREASED COSTS OF GERMANY'S CROP 

 "The German beetroot crop, which in 

 ] ire-war times produced two and three- 

 quarter million tons of sugar, is reported 

 only to have yielded about one and a 

 half million tons for 1918," says the 

 Clyde Sugar Market Report of March 

 21, 1919. 



"From deficient cultivation and want 

 of the usual fertilizers, the quantity of 

 roots obtained per acre has decreased 

 from 13 y 3 tons then to rather less than 

 8 tons now. This decreased quantity, 

 and the greatly increased expense of cul- 

 tivation, has raised the cost of roots from 

 £13.10 ($63.67) per acre in 1914 to £46.5 

 (.$220) in 1918, or fully 241 per cent. On 

 this account the outlook of the industry 

 gives rise to serious misgivings." 



SUGAR IMPORTED INTO SPAIN 

 Ambassador Willard cables from Madrid 

 that a Royal Order of May 24th cancels 

 the recent reduction in the import duty 

 on sugar. The former rate of 60 pesetas 

 (peseta, $0,193) per 100 kilos (kilo, 2.2 

 pounds) is re-established. Foreign sugars 

 bearing consular visee before date of May 

 20th will pay the former rate of 35 pesetas 

 per 100 kilos (in force since July 30, 

 1918) ; while those deposited at present 

 in Spain will pay this rate if declared 

 within five days. 



IMPORTATION OF RAW SUGAR 

 INTO FRANCE 



By order of a ministerial decree of 

 April 14th, raw sugar for refining, for the 

 manufacture of chocolate, confectionery, 

 preserves, biscuit, dry cakes, canned 

 fruits, liquors, and all products for hu- 

 man consumption may now be temporarily 

 imported into France for re-exportation 

 under special guaranty that goods will be 

 re-exported.— Consul General A. M. ThacJc- 

 ara, Paris. 



