36 



THE CUBA RE V I E W 



and second mentioned factories were only partially damaged, the third, however, was 

 practically destroyed. No plans have yet been made towards rebuilding the latter 

 factory, but the other two will probably be repaired in two or three months. 



Advices from other sugar producing countries are not entirely satisfactory. Europe 

 reports that the condition of the beets is widely varied and, in a number of countries, 

 the size of the beet roots is smaller than last year, and if these conditions do not improve 

 there will undoubtedly be some reducing of beet crop estimates throughout Europe, 

 even though the average is increased. France is particularly affected in this way, and 

 Germany also, but not quite so much. Czecho-Slovakian crop conditions are going 

 on excellently. 



Cable advices from Cuba regarding weather conditions are not entirely favorable 

 either, there being sections where rainfall is not sufficient. 



The United States beet crop appears to be going on under favorable conditions, with 

 the crop estimated at about 750,000 tons. Louisiana reports are now more favorable 

 than otherwise, and a fair size crop is expected considering its backwardness. 



Refined. — As mentioned above in raw sugars, there has been a large demand 

 for refined and practically the entire country desires as prompt shipment as possible. 

 This has exceeded the capacity of the refiners to supply and, hence, there is considerable 

 delay on the part of most refiners. The country has bought quite largely and they 

 are now awaiting the arrival of their purchases. At this writing, the demand is quieter, 

 with some refiners quoting 8.75c. and others 8.90c., regular terms. 



New York, N. Y., September 24, 1923. 



New Plantings to Be Limited 



The extent of the fall plantings is more 

 a matter for conjecture than anything else, 

 but it is safe to say that they will not be 

 abnormally large. During the early part 

 of the year the general opinion was that 

 spring plantings would surpass in area 

 anything previously recorded, but while 

 no exact figures are available, it was found 

 that the land prepared was only about that 

 required for normal replacement. It will 

 be recalled also that in 1921 and 1922 

 almost no new cane was put in and fields 

 deteriorated greatly. During the past crop 

 the drouth was given the blame for causing 

 the entire shortage, but while it was with- 

 out doubt the chief factor, the decrease in 

 production at many mills was due more 

 to the fact that they had been unable to 

 make the necessary plantings during the 

 lean years. It is also true that eight or 

 nine of the largest factories in the island 

 made record crops. Taking into considera- 

 tion the factors known at this time, 

 namely, the normal plantings, rainfall only 

 fair, and in some places poor, and the fact 

 that there is almost no "left-over" cane 

 for the mills to grind at the start of the 



crop, it seems evident that, even with 

 favorable weather conditions in the com- 

 ing two months, next season's production 

 will not exceed that of this campaign by 

 more than a small percentage. 



Scarcity of Tonnage 



Steamship tonnage for the movement of 

 Cuban sugars has been very scarce and has 

 contributed to the strength of raw sugars 

 in prompt shipment positions. Rates went 

 as high as 18 cents per hundred from 

 Cuban northside ports during the early 

 part of September, and difficulty experi- 

 enced later in finding steamers at this 

 figure. 



So acute was the situation that one firm 

 proposed sending a ship back to Cuba with- 

 out unloading the bottom tier of bags in 

 order to have the rest of the space avail- 

 able for a succeeding shipment. In the 

 scramble for tonnage ships have been 

 ordered to Cuba to handle sugars not yet 

 sold, and in some quarters this is regarded 

 as an element of possible weakness should 

 demand fall off before these cargoes arrive. 



