Evening star., 1932-10-01
|CR0P LOSSES HUGE
IN ISLAND STORM
Puerto Rican Hurricane
Damages Coffee, Citrus and
Sugar Plantations.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

opcCldl Dlbphtch TO Inc star.
NEW YORK, October 1.-The hurri-
cane which swept over Puerto Rico
Tuesday left in its wake damage total
ing millions Of dollars to the coffee,
citrus and sugar crops Of that island.
according to advices received here by
brokers and dealers along Front street,
the coffee and sugar district, and along
the West Side, where grocers and can
ners make their headquarters.
The wind cut down many orchards,
causing an estimated loss Of more than
s7,0000o0 alone to the citrus fruit
| growers whose grapefruit especially are
now being marketed here Many of these
orchardists had just recovered from the
severe blow of the 1928 hurricane,
which uprooted their trees. Since most
OF the American supplies Of grapefruit
are grown within our own borders, the
destruction Of the Puerto Rican crop
will have only temporary effect on
prices.
Coffee Loss Is Large.
The coffee crop of the island was just
r1pening and the storm caused a prop
erty loss far above that inflicted on the
citrus fruit growers. Coffee growers
had not yet recovered from the hurri-
cane OF four years ago.
Stored in the Port Of Santos, Sac
Paulo, Brazil, Is enough coffee TO sup
ply the world for the next two years
at the present rate of consumption. But
with $50 municipalities in that state
on war footing and with the worlds
coffee port prevented from sending out
Its stores of coffee since the revolution
ary movement started last July 8, 1t
was thought that puerto Rico's coffee
would help to prevent q shortage here,
Brazil, despite the revolution. continues
TO burn its inferior coffees. Reports
today indicate the destruction of l,3O0,-
900 bags since the rebellion started.
Several cargoes Of raw sugar were en-
route from Puerto Rico when the storm
lashed that section and the vessels had
not been officially heard from today,
but the island, whose sugar crop comes
into the United States free of duty. is
not the important source Of sugar for
this country Only fortnight ago, for
the first time in two years. Santo Do
m1ngo shipped sugar cane in its natural
state to Puerto Rico
Continental United States produces
less than one-fifth of its sugar REQUIRE
ments. This means we must import
about 100000 tons Of sugar each year
to meet normal requirements. Until
recent years about half of our sugar
imports came from Cuba, but that
island now sends us about one-third.
the rest coming from the Philippines,
Hawaii and Puerto Rico. All Of these
sugars come in here duty free.
Sugar Production.
The sugar crop year ended August 81.
According to latest available statistics
production of sugar in this country
amounted to about 1.07l, ,428 long tons
against 1,070,0 in 1929. Hawaii pro-
duced about 1000, 900 against S4f. .462
in 1929, while the Philippines in those
two years had 984 600 and 740,e87, re-
spectively. and Porto Rico s86 ,0es and
530,116 tons.
Indeed, in the last two years it has
/, been the Puerto Rican sugar companies
on the local stock exchanges that have
shown profits while Cuban sugar pro-
ducers showed constantly widening
losses. The hurricane might change the
profit picture for Puerto Rican COM
penies temporarily.
Although candy manufacturers are
anticipating better holiday season
than year ago and household and
Gamers use for late fruits will be large
until the end of next month, the Puerto
Rican hurricane should have only a
temporary effect, If any, on sugar
tcopyrisht. 1897