18 BULLETIN 1278, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
The situation with respect to the planting of new fields was less 
satisfactory than the degree of progress that had been made in 
cleaning the fields. There were relatively large areas of henequen 
from 2 to 5 years of age, but comparatively little planting had been 
done during the preceding 18 months. 
MARKET SITUATION 
During the latter part of 1921 Yucatan henequen was selling at a 
price of 2j cents Gulf, that is delivered at New Orleans or Mobile. 
The market was in a badly disorganized condition, there were large 
stocks of unsold fiber in the United States, the plantations in Yucatan 
were steadily deteriorating, and there existed a marked degree of 
uncertainty as to the future of the industry. Early in 1922 the 
Comision Exportadora de Yucatan, the selling agency of which in 
the United States is the Sisal Sales Corporation, assumed the direc- 
tion and control of the marketing of practically the entire output 
of Yucatan and Campeche. 
The efforts of these two organizations have served to stabilize the 
market and check the decline in production, at least for the time 
being. There has been collected, compiled, and coordinated a large 
mass of data regarding the henequen industry in Yucatan. These 
records show in great detail the organization, equipment, systems of 
management, and the results that are now being obtained on the 
plantations. The quality of fiber has been somewhat improved by 
maintaining in the warehouses at Progreso a system of grading and 
standardization. A considerable part of the stocks of old fiber 
has been sold, and a stable price in the world markets has been 
maintained. 
The selling price of 6^ cents per pound for henequen, maintained 
with a variation of less than \ cent in this country throughout the 
years 1922 and 1923, is about f cent above the average price during 
the years 1890 to 1914. The prices of other hard fibers, abaca, 
African and Java sisal, and Manila maguey, varied somewhat, with 
an average net increase of nearly 1 cent per pound during the two 
years. The price of henequen, in comparison with the prices of these 
other fibers, indicated a relative market value approximately the 
same as that shown by quotations in pre-war years, falling below 
somewhat toward the close of the period. 
The planter in Yucatan has received 3| to 4J cents United States 
currency per pound for the fiber delivered at Progreso. An export 
duty ranging from 1 to \\ cents per pound is collected by the Gov- 
ernment of Yucatan. The freight, exclusive of lighterage, from 
Progreso to New Orleans or Mobile is between 15 and 20 cents per 
100 pounds, and 7 to 10 cents more to Philadelphia, New York, or 
Boston. 
FUTURE PRODUCTION OF FIBER 
It has been estimated by the Comision Exportadora that the pro- 
duction of henequen fiber in Yucatan and Campeche will be approxi- 
mately 600,000 bales for 1923, 700,000 bales for 1924, and 800,000 
bales for 1925, with a continued production of about 800,000 bales 
per annum for a number of years. Other estimates indicate that 
l^roduction may either fall below or exceed these figures. 
