86 BULLETIN 1409, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
climate comparable to that in sections of the cotton-growing States of 
the United States. East of the Paraguay River the country is about 
like Georgia and Alabama for soil and topography and the climate is 
similar to that of Florida. West of the river in the Chaco there are, 
large tracts resembling the Gulf coast region of Texas. 
It should be noted, however, that while the climate and soil are 
favorable to cotton growing, they also provide a simple living with 
less labor than is involved in cotton culture. It has also been shown 
that the factors inhibiting cotton production are numerous and that 
much work is required to put the industry on a real commercial basis. 
The country is far from seaports, transportation is expensive, and 
there is little domestic market except for such products as yerba 
mate, tobacco, and a few other products which command a steady 
market at remunerative prices. 
TOBACCO 
The area planted to tobacco increased from 16,500 acres in 1914 
to 32,700 acres in 1923, the average for the last eight years being 
about 28,500 acres. The average yield from 1914 to 1923 was 947 
pounds per acre and the average annual production about 25,000,000 
pounds, of which about 16,000,000 pounds were exported. 
RICE 
In 1914 the area in rice was about 1,112 acres. This increased 
to 3,700 acres in 1918, but decreased to about 2,360 acres in 1921, 
1922, and 1923. The average yield for the 10 years, 1914 to 1923, 
was 1,870 pounds per acre and the average annual production the 
last 5 years was about 4,777,000 pounds. Paraguay has no export 
trade in rice, but imports on the average about 1,073,000 pounds. 
PEANUTS 
For the 10-year period, 1914 to 1923, the average area in peanuts 
was about 12,000 acres, the yield about 1,730 pounds per acre, and 
total production about 20,800,000 pounds. Exports varied greatly. 
In the year 1916 there were 4,799,000 pounds, but in the year 1920 
there were no exports. Exports amounted to 31,300 pounds in 1923. 
CORN 
Except for one year, 1917, the area planted to corn increased 
steadily from about 62,000 acres in 1914 to about 105,000 acres in 
1923. The average yield for the same period was 18 bushels per 
acre. The total production in 1923 was estimated to be about 
2,283,000 bushels. No corn is exported. 
SUGAR 
The area planted to sugar cane increased from 12,300 acres in 1914 
to 20,200 in 1919, and decreased to about 12,325 acres in 1923. The 
production of sugar has varied from 562 tons in 1919 to 2,559 tons 
in 1914, 2,406 tons in 1922 and 1,748 tons in 1923. Imports varied 
from 1,825 tons in 1914 to 2,559 tons in 1919, falling to 123 tons in 
1923. Normally, Paraguay does not export sugar, although in 1920, 
1,410 tons were exported. 
