Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-08-15
COFFEE GROWERS
OF MEXICO FIND
BUSINESS GOOD

That the production ana export OF
coffee has become one Of the principal
industries of Mexico was learned OF
Friday through a report released at
the office of Juan Marshall, Mexican
consul at Douglas.
According to the report, more than!
100000 pounds of coffee was pro-
duced in Mexico in 1925, of which
amount more than 30,OO0,O00 pounds
were exported to the United States
This is contrary to the general belel
that all coffee used in the United
States is imported from South Amer
lea, India and Africa.
There are in Mexico about % states
in which coffee is produced In com
mercial quantities, but the largest
crops are obtained in or near the Te-
.huantepec isthmus region. The state
of Vera Cruz i sthe leader, with Chi-
apas and OaXaca following. The larg-
est centers of production in Vera Cruz.
are Coatepec, Jalapa, Teocelo, Cor
Goba, Forth, Orizaba Santiago Tux
tia, Misantla, Huatucso, Tlacapaya,
TapatlaXco and zongolica In Chiapas
the leading production centers are
Tapachula, Huixtla, Tuxtla, Gutierrez
and Copainala, and in Oaxaca the
largest coffee plantations are situated
near Pochutla and the city of OaXaca
The climatic conditions In the cof-
fee districts in Mexico are amongst the
most favorable. The temperature is
remarkably even, the zone being large
ly within the tropical belt and at the
same time the attitudes being suffl-
cient to prevent an excess of moisture.
1t has been proven that, while the
coffee tree can grow and produce any
where from sea level to an altitud of
5000 feet, the greatest returns in
quantity and quality are obtained at
attitudes from 5000 to 5000 feet.
The quality of Mexican coffee varies
greatly, even in the same varieties,i
accodring to the altitude, soil and de-
gree Of moisture prevailing The type
is generally mild and excellent as a.
softener when mixed with the more
acrid coffees from South America
The coffee produced in the Orizaba,
Crodoba and Jalapa districts in the
state of Vera Cruz consists usually OF
large, well developed beans of whit
ish green color; the coffee produced
in Chiapas is also large and very
tasty, and the quality of the OaXaca
coffee has improved considerably,
while still being second to the former.
Uruapan in the state of MichocanI
produces the finest coffee in the coun-
try. The beans are small and usually
Of the peaberry variety The state OF
Colima produces small, yellowfsh
green coffee of very fine flavor, and
Teziutlan and its surroundings in the
state of Puebla also produce choice
grades, but the crops in all these states
are limited and little is exported.
The famous Caracolillo, or peaberry
coffee, has always a finer flavor, and
consists of a roundish bean, one NJ!
each berry instead of two, occurring
in very young trees or the higher
branches of older busher, where the
flow or sap is either WEAK or retarded
The average annual crop amounts tol
80, ,OOO, 600 pounds, of which the statel
of Vera Cruz furnishes approximately
so per cent, Chiapas 33 per cent and
Oaxaca 10 per cent. The average pro-
duction per acre is 720 pounds of cot-
fee. and the cultivated area 125,O44
acres. The production in 1920 amount
ed TO 79,S65,451 pounds; 75,732S0O in
1921; S8,S57,S79 in 1922; S7,97O,267 int
1928; S9,1OOzOO in 1924, and nearly |
1OO, 900, 900 pounds in 1925
During the year 1928 the exports OF
Mexican coffee amounted to 3S,651,972l
pounds; 39,65S,615 pounds in 1924, and
53,OS9,661 pounds in 1925. OF the lat
ter amount, 3O,S77,4 ,464 pounds wereI
exported to the United States; 1S,613,- |
879 pounds to Germany, and the bal
ance in smaller quantities to other Eu- |
ropean countries. The bulk of the
exports are made through Vera Cruz
TO New York and the coffee produced
on the west coast finds ready mar
ket in San Francisco.
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