Diario las Américas., 1958-01-17
Know thy
Neighbori
BY ANTONIO RUIZ

HAITI - Coffee cultivation in
Haiti was first undertaken in the
early years of the 18th. century,
when it was introduced from Mar
Unique by the Jesuit Fathers. The
region initially cultivated was
around Dondon, in the north. By
the time of the Revolution in 1904,
plantations had been greatly ex-
tended and today coffee is grown
in about 5000 acres situated on
the humid mountain slopes
throughout the Republic.
Most of the coffee areas are at
an altitude of about 1900 feet, but
in some coastal regions, such as
those around Cap Haitien and Port
de-Paix, on the northern coast, the
plantations begin at sea level. For
the most part, these consist of
small patches of wild growth own
ed by Haitian citizens. However,
since 1925, the Service Rationale
de la Production Agricola" has
been substituting coffee tree plant
ings in the country.
Between September 80, 1910
and September 80, 1943, about four
million coffee trees were planted.
In the districts surrounding Hal
it's numerous ports, the coffee is
transported to the shipping point
by truck or, if from the interior
region lacking suitable roads, by
burro. Small boats plying the
coastal waters bring the coffee
from the seacoast villages to the
main ports where it is shipped
abroad in 60-kilo bags.
The coffee produced in Haiti is
a good, mild type known as Cofea
Arabica, which when properly pro-
cessed, commands a premium
price. Since 1888, a campaign has
been underway to improve the ap-
pearance of the beans for the mar
ket. About 700 drying platforms
of concrete r.masonry were con
structed by the government in sew
eral centers of production, and
more than 1000 portable drying
trays we're distributed. While the
Government grating special be-
producers with about 200 hand
operated coffee pulpers, the plant
owners were improving and
undermining their plants.
Legislation was passed by the
Government granting sepecil be-
nefits to those plants, and fixing
minimum standards for both the
export and domestic trades. Still
more strict regulations r con-
templated in order to meet fully
with the requirements of the Anne
rican market, and to put Haiti
coffee on par with the coffee from
the chief producing countries. A
cup-testing room is in operation
at FOrt-au-FrlHce.
Haiti has exported an average
of nearly go million pounds of cot
fee annually for the last thirty
years. The highest export year on
record is 1918-19, when 108 mil
lion pounds YER exported, while
in 1943-44, a record low of 81
million pounds were shipped. Hal.
it's traditional market for coffee
has been France, which normally
purchased about 70 per cent of the
Haitian exports, not only for do.
mestic consumption, but also for
re-export to other European coun.
tries.
In the year 1885, however,
through French denunciation of
the trade convention existing be-
tween the two countries, this ar.
rangement broke down, and in 49,
1857 France took only 20 per
cent of the total, while Belgium
purchased % per cent, and Italy
and the United States Is and 18
per cent, respectively.
World War II brought about
further changes, and in 1941-42,
about SO per cent of the exports
of Haitian coffee came to the Unit
ed States: in 1942-43 this figure
dropped to 81 per cent and in
1943-44 to 81 per cent. By the
terms of the Inter American COT.
fee Agreement of 1910, when vir-
tually all European markets had
disappeared, Haiti was assigned a
basic quota of 275,000 bias, or &c..
300 1000 pounds, to be marketed in
the United States.
Spanish Version Page 3