78 



The Progress of Peru's sugar industry within the last decade has 

 been marked. The exportations of sugar have increased in that time 

 from about 72,000 to 132,000 metric tons, as will be seen by the 

 export list. 



Metric Tons. Metric Tons. Metric Tons. 



1896 71,735 1899 103,706 1902 117,361. 



1897 105,463 1900 112,222 1903 127,673. 



1898 105,713 1901 114,637 1904 131,957. 



The production of sugar at the present time is probably in the 

 neighborhood of 150,000 tons. 



Judging from the results at Cartavio and what has been learned of 

 other estates, it would be conservative to estimate that the out-put of 

 commercial sugar from the acreage of cane now annually cut could 

 be increased fully fifty per cent by intensive cultivation and the in- 

 troduction of the most efficient machinery, particularly milling ma- 

 chinery. 



In addition to the sugar lands, cultivated and uncultivated, now 

 under the water system, many thousands of acres could be put into 

 cultivation if the mountain water supplies were made available. It 

 ought not to be a very difficult problem to control and conserve the 

 super-abundant waters of the flood season. 



Satisfactory flowing wells have been sunk near Lima, and it is 

 quite probable that other flowing wells could be successfully sunk on 

 estates that care to increase their water supply. 



The cost of producing sugar should be less than in many other 

 countries. As the lands are level or gently sloping, all kinds of labor- 

 saving machinery can be utilized. Since grinding can be continued 

 throughout the year, proportionately smaller factories are sufficient, 

 and labor can be better regulated both in field and factory. The labor 

 system is good and the price of labor is reasonable. As yet it has not 

 been possible to get full or satisfactory figures leading up to the cost 

 of the production of sugar, but the managers of several of the best es- 

 tates have placed the cost at about 1,2 cents (gold) per Ib. 



Peru is essentially a sugar growing country, possessing the condi- 

 tions that should, under systematic development, make it rank high 

 among cane sugar countries. 



