THE CUBA REVIEW 



35 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 



SUGAR CROP ESTIMATE 



Sr. Mariano CaKqucro of Havana, Cuba, 

 estimates that the j^ugar croj) of the Island ot 

 Cuba for the season of 1910-1917 will l)e 

 3,373,000 tons. The difference Ijetween this 

 estimate and other estimates which have been 

 published is due, according to Sr. Casquero, 

 to the scanty yield of the cane in some locali- 

 ties, the great difficulties of trant-pcrting same 

 to the Centrals and the scarcity of labor. 



TACAJO 



The new mill lieing constructed at Tacajo 

 in Oriente Province is rapidly nearing com- 

 pletion, notwithstanding many serious delays 

 owing to labor troubles. A large part of the 

 rolling stock for the new mill has already 

 arrived and the two large locomotives were 

 shipped from Philadeljjhia via Key West 

 and the ferry on their own wheels. 



NEW SUGAR MILLS 



The work of constructing the new sugar 

 mills at Cupey, Punta Alegre and Marcane 

 is progressing rapidly, and the mills at Cupey 

 and Punta Alegre are to be ready to start 

 grinding early in March. 



CENTRAL REDENCION 

 MM 

 The old Central "Rodencion", located near 

 JVIinas on the lineof the Ferrocarril Camaguey 

 <t Nuevitas in Camaguey province, is at pres- 

 ent undergoing extensive repairs and remodel- 

 ing and is expected to Ije ready for griiiding 

 part of this season's crop. 



PORTO RICO SUGAR 



Pecent sugar estimates are to the effect that 

 l)eginning \\itii March the weekly prxluctim 

 of sugar will be approximately 1?.5,OCO tons 

 and that this rate of production will be con- 

 tinued until June. It is expected that the total 

 production for the season wall be between 500,- 

 000 and 525,000 tons. 



SUGAR CROP OF PORTO RICO 



The records of the island's f-ugar prcduction 

 from the cane crops of the past eight years are : 



Years Tons Years Tons 



1909 277,092 1913. . . . 398,003 



1910 346,785 1914. , . . 351,665 



1911 349,840 1915. . . . 346,490 



1912 371,075 1916 483,589 



SUGAR REVIEW 



Speciall'j ivrUt^n for the Cuba Rev.ew 'jy WUlett & Gr \y, New York. 



Our last review^ for this magazine was dated January 6, 1917. 



At that date, Cuba Centrifugal sugar 96° test basis, was quoted at 4^8C. cost and freight, 

 per lb., and is now 33^c. c & f. showing decline of J^c. per lb. From January 6th, the market 

 remained steady at 43/^c. till January 16th, at 4Mc. January 24th, 4.00c.; January 25th, 3J^c.; 

 January 26th, 3 15-16c.; January 27th,3 J^c; February 2d, 3 13-16c.; to the close, when it is 

 SJiC; cost and freight. The feature of the crop season thus far has been its backwardness 

 and freedom from undue pressure to sell which has held the quotations thus far from going to 

 some point as low as SHc c. & f. or 33^c. c. & f. as anticipated by the general public. Of course, 

 there is still time and circumstances for some further decline Ijefore the regular steady rising 

 market conditions become operative. 



Unusual and more or less imcertain events coming almost daily to influence the market 

 conditions render any opinion of the future more or less obscure, and facts as they exist at the 

 moment can only be given. 



For instance, the immediate demand for raw sugar is curtailed by labor strikes which have 

 been going on for weeks at several refineries with no immediate end in sight. In the mean- 

 time, this circumstance keeps the price of refined sugar so much higher than the parity of raws 

 as to keep the dema?Kl on a strictly hand to mouth basis throughout the country. Should the 

 price of refined be lowered to the usual parity it would likely bring in an increased demand be- 

 yond the present limitations of refining without increasing the demand for raws. 



The United States having now broken with Germany, it will soon be known if the ocean 



