AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF SOUTH AMERICA 85 
Table 56/ — Cotton: Production in Paraguay, 1916-17 to 1924-25, inclusive 
Year 
Area 
Yield 
per acre 
of lint 
Produc- 
tion of 
lint 
Percent- 
age of 
increase 
over 
previous 
year 
1916-17 
Acres 
120 
490 
803 
2,000 
2,483 
4,497 
9,790 
42,000 
35,000 
Pounds 
366.5 
170.7 
179.8 
212.9 
184.4 
278.1 
285.6 
183.2 
177.5 
Bales i 
90 
175 
302 
891 
958 
2,616 
5,844 
16, 100 
13,000 
Per cent 
1917-18 
94 
1918-19 
73 
1919-20-. 
195 
1920-21 
8 
1921-22. 
173 
1922-23 
123 
1923-24 
175 
1924-25 2 
— 19 
Of 478 pounds. 
Preliminary. 
Spinning in Paraguay is done entirely by hand. It is estimated 
that approximately 33 short tons of ginned cotton are used in the 
country annually for spinning by hand. The total number of gins 
in the country is given as 12. These are said to be of old design and 
badly worn. 
Exports of cotton from Paraguay from 1918 to 1923 in bales of 
478 pounds net weight are given in Table 57. Most of these exports 
went to France, England, and Germany through commission mer- 
chants in Buenos Aires. Asuncion, Encarnacion, and Concepcion are 
the concentration points for assembling cotton for export. 
Tables 57. — Cotton exports from Paraguay from 1918-1928 in bales of 478 pounds 
net weight 
Year 
Bales 
Year 
Bales 
Year 
Bales 
1918 
36 
163 
1920 
1921- 
775 
773 
1922 
1923 
2,478 
1919 
4,216 
The portion of the cottonseed crop not used for seed is exported. 
None is used for any other purpose in Paraguay. The statistical 
office reports that in the 12 months ended July 31, 1924, about 4,300 
short tons of cottonseed were exported. Exports in previous years 
were insignificant. 
The prospects for the immediate expansion of cotton production in 
Paraguay are excellent. The last cotton crop brought considerable 
money into the country and increased the purchasing power of small 
producers, greatly exciting their imagination. The result will be, 
undoubtedly, a considerable expansion in the area planted to cotton 
in the coming season, estimated by various persons in Paraguay at as 
much as 250 per cent over that of last year. 
Continuous expansion will depend altogether upon the price* of 
cotton, and whether that price will enable it to compete with yerba 
mate, tobacco, and other products. The conditions for cotton grow- 
ing are highly favorable, with land plentiful and very cheap, labor 
cheap and adequate for a considerable immediate expansion, and the 
