Evening star., 1902-03-24
SUGAR OF THE WORLD
OUTPUT AND consdMrsff1oN OF
THE CENTURY.
Production Has Increased ESQ Per
Cent, While Population. 3. WAS Grow
ing Only About 50 Per Cent.

| "The Worlds Sugar Production and Con
| sumption, 1SOO-19OO,'' Is the, title, of a mon
ograph just issued by the treasury bureau
| Of statistics. 1t discusses the sugar pro.
duction and consumption Of the world dur.
| ing the past century, and especially during
| the last half century, In which the burden
| Of sugar production has been transferred
| from cane to the sugar beet, and in which
| the world has so largely increased it's con-
sumption Of sugar. The worlds sugar pro-
| duction has grown from 1,15O,OOO tons In
| 1910 to S,SOO,OOO tons in 1900. During the
| same period the worlds population has
grown, according to the best estimates
from 95O,OOO.OOO to about 1,5OO 100000. Thus
| sugar production has increased about CSC
per cent, while population was increasing
but about 80 per cent Coming nearer
home and considering the United States
alone. it is found that the consumption OF
| sugar, which in 1850 was only % pounds
| per capita, was in 1901 over 6S pounds pei
| capita.
| Increased Importance of Beets.
! One especially striking fact shown by the
statistics presented in this study is the rap
| idly increasing proportion Of the worlds
| enlarged sugar consumption which is sup
| piled by beets. According to the figures
presented by this study beets, which sup
| pl1eQ IN lS4U less tnan . per cent OF the
| world sugar, in 1900 supplied 81 per cent
| Of the greatly increased consumption while
| cane, which then supplied 95 per cent OF
| the worlds sugar consumption, now sup
plies but 83 per cent. stated IN quantities,
| it may be said that the worlds cane sugar
supply has grown from 1 100000 tons in
| 1910 to 2S5O,OOO tons in 19O0-an increase of
| 16O per cent, while that Of beets has grown
from $4,000 tons in 1910 5 to o95O,oOo tons in
| 19OO-an increase of II 500 per cent.
The figures above quoted Include that
portion which enters into the worlds sta
tistical record of sugar production and
does not include the large quantities Of
cane sugar produced in India and China
exclusively for home consumption, and in a
considerable number Of the tropical coun-
tries does not include that portion of the
sugar consumed at home. Even II these
figures Of cane sugar production for home
consumption were obtainable. the produc-
ton from beets would still show q much
more rapid growth during the last half
century than that from cane This, appa-
rently is due to two great causes: First,
the elimination Of slavery In the tropics
the seat of the principal sugar production:
and, second, the intelligent study Of and
government aid to the production Of beet
sugar in the temperate zone, especially in
European countries.
Decrease in Price.
One effect Of this enormous increase and
the competition which has accompanied
the developments above alluded to has
been a great reduction in prices to the
consumer. The figures OF the bureau of
statistics obtained from Statements sup
Piled by importers Of the cost in foreign
countries Of the sugar which they import
show that the average cost Of the sugar
imported In 1912 was 5.31 cents per pound,
and In the year 1S99-196O, 2.49 cents per
pound.
The sugar production Of France has
grown from q 600 metricL tons 0n the sugar
year 1S39-4O to SO5.OOO tons In 1890-19OO:
that Of Germany. from Il. $50 metric tons
in 1S39-4O to 1,S75.OOO tons In 19OO-19Q1
Austria Hungary. from $4,000 metric tons
IN 1s5s-54 the earliest date fos which fig
ures are obtainable. to 1,10,go0 tons in
1s99-19O0; Russia. from 1900 tnetric tons
in 1S5S,H to 100000 tons I'm 1s90-19OO; Bel
gium, from 1900 metric tons tn.that year
to 100000 tons in 1S99-19O9; Holland, from
1000 metric tons in 1s60-y61 to 10000 tons
In 1S09-19OO.
Turning to the cane sugar producing
areas in which the statistics afe4not avail
able for so long a period, 1t is found that
the exports from the Philippine Islands in
creased from %. .416 metric tons In 1S49 to
$4,000 metric tons In 1896. From Cuba the
exports In 1860 were 537, ,491 tons and in
grown from II. 200 tons in 1875 to 243. .47O
tons in 1899. Java produced in 1884. 1885,
1853 tons. and In 1901, 765. 900 tons; and Bra
zil, which in 1884 produced 26S, 335 tons,
produced in 1901 215OOO tons.
The table which follows, shows the
worlds production Of sugar from cane and
beets. respectively, at decennial years from
1910 to 1900, and the percentage supplied by
beets: