THE CUBA REVIEW 



33 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 



NEED OF SUGAR REFINERY IN MEXICO 

 U. S. "Vice Consul Charles H. Cunning- 

 ham, Mexico City, writes as follows re- 

 garding the need of a sugar refinery in 

 Mexico : 



There is probably no other country in 

 the world with Mexico's latent resources 

 for the production of sugar, and at the 

 same time consumption of the product, 

 that has so few facilities for the actual 

 refining of sugar and its preparation for 

 market. At the present time only one 

 first-class, up-to-date refinery exists in this 

 Republic, namely that of Potrero, in the 

 State of Vera Cruz. This refinery is run 

 mostly in connection with the Potrero 

 Sugar Plantation, although it refines some 

 sugar besides its own canes. This plant 

 last year prepared for market about 4,000 

 tons of Cuban and Peruvian raws at a 

 large profit, as the prices then existing 

 between raws and refined sugars varied as 

 high as 10 cents United States currency, 

 per kilo (2.2 pounds). This, however, was 

 abnormal and cannot be counted on in the 

 future. 



Mexico during 1918 imported about 

 25,000 tons of sugars, of which 10,000 tons 

 were raws, 96 test. The greater part of 

 this amount was consumed by the poorer 

 classes in its raw condition, because of its 

 cheapness. However, were adequate 

 facilities present for the refining of the 

 sugar, more would be consumed in the im- 

 proved state. The normal consumption of 

 this Republic is 100,000 tons per annum, 

 whereas the present production is about 

 60,000 tons. 



The larger market in Mexico City and 

 its characteristics as a distributing point 

 to other parts of the Republic would seem 

 to constitute an important reason for the 

 establishment of a refinery here. The im- 

 portant sugar State of Morelos, which is 

 quite near, would furnish a large amount 

 of material upon which to work. For- 

 merly, there was a sugar refinery of con- 

 siderable size near Cuernavaca which did 

 exceedingly well. 



Aside from Mexican sugars, foreign 

 raws would furnish material upon which 



this refinery could work. As noted above, 

 notwithstanding the great demand in the 

 United States and Europe for sugar, and 

 the facilities there for refining it, last 

 year 4,000 tons of Cuban and Peruvian 

 raws were refined at Potrero. At present 

 there are 70,000 bags of low-grade 

 Javanese and Central American sugars in 

 Mexico awaiting consumption. 



The present price of white refined sugar 

 is 25 cents United States currency per kilo, 

 while the price of plantation white is 20 

 to 21 cents per kilo. 



PURCHASE OF CENTRAL SAN AGUSTIN 

 Central San Agustin at Caibarien, 



Santa Clara Province, has been sold to 



the Atkins Company of Boston for the 



sum of ?3,S00,000. 



San Agustin last year made 119,662 bags 



of sugar and it is estimated that this 



year's crop will reach 135,000 bags. The 



year's crop is not included in the sale of 



the mill. 



It is understood the new owners intend 



to invest al)out a million dollars in new 



equipment for the mill. 



SALE OF CENTRAL ALTAMIRA 

 The Altamira sugar mill, located in 

 in Santa Clara Province, has been sold 

 to Maximo Suarez Arango, of Remedios, 

 and ex- Senator Jose Maria Espinosa for 

 a consideration of .$2,000,000. Though the 

 output of the Altamira mill is calculated 

 at 80,000 liags it exceeded that amount 

 this year by 5.000 bags. 



CORRECTION 

 In the March issue of this publication, 

 Table of Active Sugar Plantations in the 

 Province of Matanzas, pages 27 and 2S, 

 there appears a misstatement of the 

 nationality of the owners of Centrals 

 CUBA, FLORA, SANTO DOMINGO, and 

 SARATOGA, owned by the Central Cuba 

 Sugar Company. The ownership was in- 

 correctly given as Cuban- Spanish and 

 should have been Cuban-American. 



