and in the Isle of Pines. About 70 percent of the cucumbers are produced in the Isle of Pines and the remainder in eastern Pinar del Río, near Paso Real, Herradura, and Artemisa. Lima beans are grown principally near the towns along the central highway from Habana west to Guanajay and south of Habana. Okra of the shortpod type is grown in concentrated areas just south and west of Habana and the long-pod type near Artemisa. Tomatoes are grown in several areas, but with the recent shift toward the eastern area the most important production of the main late crop is now on the gray, clay soils in the northeastern part of Las Villas Province. The early crop is in older areas near Güines in La Habana and in eastern Pinar del Río Provinces, which still produce heavily. Potatoes for export are grown southeast of Habana, from Güines through Matanzas Province. The soils best adapted for winter vegetables are the easily worked and well-drained sandy and gravelly clay loams common in eastcentral Cuba. This region also has the advantage of being near the export outlet through Habana. Tomatoes, of course, grow better on the heavier clays, whereas potatoes require loose, sandy soils. Most of the tomatoes are grown by operators, usually on cash-rented land, the cost of the rent and other expenses usually being advanced by commission houses and receivers who operate through the local storekeeper. Of the other kinds of vegetables, it is estimated that only about one-third are produced by individual farmers and that about two-thirds are produced by administration, that is, by hired labor on the larger farms owned or operated by commission houses. His As is the case in many other crops, the average Cuban grower lacks sufficient capital to finance his operations from season to season. assets are usually not acceptable as security for bank loans, and consequently private credits in the form of advances are usually made by commission agents and merchants. These advances frequently cover seed, fertilizer, packing material, harvesting expenses, wages, and at times other expenses. In return, the grower is obligated to dispose of his crop through the financing merchant or to offer the latter the first opportunity of purchasing the crop at current prices. In some cases, the financiers are Cuban firms, but for the most part they are American commission houses. There are no accurate estimates of the total acreage and production of vegetables. Table 34 shows the acreage reported in the census of 1929. The best available indication of the change in production 44 is obtained from the examination of the volume of exports. The greatest increase during the 10 years prior to 1940 has been in tomatoes, the 44 A report on the Cuban vegetable industry by the U. S. Bureau of Agricultural Economics in 1937 shows the following estimated average production in 1935-36 and 1936-37. These data indicate abnormally high yields, especially of tomatoes, which probably average nearer 45 to 60 lugs per acre. The figure for the acreage of tomatoes is probably too low (see table 35 for size of containers). production of which more than doubled whereas that of most of the other vegetables has not changed greatly and that of peppers has even declined slightly. TABLE 34.-Winter-vegetable acreage in Cuba, by Provinces, 1929 The land used for most winter vegetables is prepared early in August or September, and the first crop is planted or set out in late September or in October. Tractors and other large machines as a rule are used only on some of the large farms operated under administration. On most farms, oxen and crude implements requiring much hand work are the rule. Frequent cultivation, hoeing, and weeding are necessary, in addition to spraying to control insects and diseases. Minimum wages prescribed by law are now $1.30 per 8-hour day, and in addition the workers receive vacations with pay and benefits from a maternity tax. Considerable commercial fertilizer is used except in the newer tomato areas on the heavier soils in the Santa Clara region. Irrigation is desirable, since most of the export crops are produced in the dry season of the year during the winter, and consequently it is used wherever possible, except for tomatoes. Most of the irrigation at present is by gravity flow from wells with Diesel or electric pumping plants, except in the Güines area, where a river irrigation system has been in operation for many years. Harvesting and packing involves a great deal of hand labor. Packing is done either on the farm or in towns near producing areas. Shipments for export are subject to strict regulation by the vegetable growers' association and by the Cuban Government, which has done much to maintain a high standard of quality of Cuban vegetables on the export market. Shipment of vegetables that are below the specified minimum size or are misshapen, spotted, dirty, or otherwise defective is prohibited. This regulation is also used to some extent as a means of adjusting the volume of shipments to the market demand. For instance, the exportation of small-sized tomatoes is permitted only when supplies in the United States are abnormally low. A large part of the production, therefore, is unsuitable for export and is consumed locally, either fresh or in the new local canning industry. The cost of containers, most of which are imported from the United States, varies from about 17 cents for tomatoes and lima beans to 24 cents for eggplant, in addition to from 2 to 6 cents for paper and other packing materials. The freight charge from the packing plant to Habana varies from 5 cents a package for near areas to as much as 12 cents for the more distant areas. Freight from Habana to New 1 York during normal years varies from about 29 cents per lug of tomatoes to 48 cents per package of some of the other vegetables. TABLE 35.-Containers used for exportation of Cuban vegetables 1 45 From 97 to 99 percent of all Cuba's vegetable exports are to the United States (table 36), although some of these are reshipped through the United States to Canada. The greater part of Cuban exports are to New York City, although important quantities are also shipped through New Orleans. Steamers normally leave several times a week and reach New York in less than 3 days and New Orleans in less than 2. Most tomatoes are sold at auction in the United States, but other vegetables are commonly sold at private sales by commission firms. TABLE 36.-Fresh vegetable imports into the United States from Cuba, 1924-25 to 1940-41 1 1924-25 to 1929-30 fiscal years, U. S. Tariff Commission (17); 1930-31 to 1939-40 crop years, November to June, from records of the U. S. Bureau of Agricultural Economics. ? Does not include small quantities of other vegetables, such as squash, string beans, and chayote. COMPETITION WITH UNITED STATES VEGETABLES Imports of Cuban vegetables are highly seasonal and limited to the winter and early spring months, when field production is not possible in most of the United States. Florida and Texas are practically the only areas that produce the kinds of early winter vegetables imported from Cuba, and shipments even from these States are heaviest during the months when Cuban shipments are relatively low. Only the southernmost counties of Florida and Texas have about the same shipping season as Cuba. Furthermore, imports from Cuba are only for consumption as fresh vegetables, whereas much of the domestic crop. in the United States is grown for canning. United States customs regulations provide that certain products may enter only through specified ports; for instance, lima beans may enter only through New York. 467070-43--6 TABLE 37.-Fresh-vegetable imports into the United States from Cuba, by months 1935-36 to 1940-41 [Italic numbers indicate period of seasonally reduced import duty] Seasonally reduced import duty during December through May. Seasonally reduced import duty during December through March. 5 Seasonally reduced import duty during January through April. 6 In terms of baskets of 35 pounds net weight. Compiled from official records U. S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. The shipping seasons for the various vegetables are shown in figure 28. Table 37 shows the quantities imported into the United States each month from November 1935 to June 1941. Tomatoes, lima beans, and okra are the first to arrive in November, whereas most of the others are not shipped in volume until December. The peak months for tomatoes, lima beans, and cucumbers are December, January, and February, and for peppers, eggplant, and potatoes, the peak is about a month later, January, February, and March. Okra |