Panama, although adaptable to agriculture, is in a backward state, due to lack of trans portation facilities, the principal industry being that of utilizing the natural products of the country, balata, bananas, etc. While suited to rice culture, very little is raised. The imports of this cereal in 1914 amounted to $351,000. Imports of rice from the United States amounted in 1912, 170,323 pounds, valued at $4,864; 1913, 170,111 pounds, valued at $7,614; 1914, 281,516 pounds, valued at $11,839; 1915, 4,861,604 pounds, valued at $195,031; 1916, 2,300,577 pounds, valued at $90,573; and 1917, 1,959,561 pounds, valued at $93,223. In a report by the United States Consul General (Com merce Reports, 14 Aug. 1915), it was stated that the preference in imports was for the grains known as Siam No. 1 and Saigon No. 1, formerly procurable from Hamburg, but pur chased at present in San Francisco. Some do mestic Uruted States rice has been purchased at New Orleans.
Salvador is one of the Latin American countries raising sufficient rice for its own needs and a surplus for export. In 1914 the area under cultivation was 27,000 acres, pro ducing 12,344,000 pounds. During the same year, the exports amounted to $10,W, of which the United States received $4,032; Guatemala, $2,050; Nicaragua, $3,632; Honduras, $366; Panama, $197; Costa Rica, $702; and France, $4.
Mexico produces a large quantity of rice, but, due to the large domestic consumption, quantities have to be imported every year, par ticularly at present on account of recent politi cal and industrial troubles. The area under cultivation in 1914 was 41,000 acres, producing 33,921,000 pounds. Figures regarding importa tion as a whole, for recent years, are not avail able, but the imports from the United States amounted in 1912, 21,621 pounds, valued at $9, 381; 1913, 439,937 pounds, valued at $22,711;: 1914, 1,292,466 pounds, valued at $55,573; 1915, 1,742,531 pounds, valued at $76,716; 1916, 6,099, 932 pounds, valued at $229,196; and 1917, 7,616, 038 pounds, valued at $346,452. In 1914, Mexico exported to Cuba rice to the amount of 1,451, 692 pounds, valued at $44,734.
Cuba raises sugar and tobacco, lands are dear and labor is in great demand, a combina tion of elements that militates against the com mercial exploitation of rice in competition with the fields of the Orient. While some rite is raised, its quantity is negligible and as a result the great demand of the island is met im portation. The imports in 1913 amounted to
279,952,741 pounds, valued at $7,772,634; and in 1914, 250,641,198 pounds, valued at $6,529,735. In 1913, Germany supplied, in round numbers, 106,000,000 pounds and British India, 61,000,000 pounds; the respective quantities in 1914 being 44,000,000 and 48,000,000 pounds. Imports from the United States amounted in 1912, 9,140,407 pounds, valued at $246,214; 1913. 669,179 pounds, valued at $28,793; 1914, 11,378,020 pounds, val ued at $414,768; 1915, 25,340,501 pounds, valued at $999,810; 1916, 49,127,404 pounds, valued at $1,897,354; and 1917, 21,906,928 pounds, valued at $891,181- Cuba being the best customer of the United States in this product.
Special Agent Garrard Harris in a report to Washington (Commerce Reports, 27 Jan. 1916), calls particular attention to the high quality of the rice demanded for Cuban con sumption. The varieties in universal demand are the Rangoon, or eSemilla,s as it is gener ally • the Calcutta, otherwise known as (tOld Hard Patna," or ocanilla the Siam Garden, called nuevo,p and a small quantity of Valencia rice; the last named in packages and called locally similar to the Domestic Japan so well known on the New Orleans market.
The Dominican Republic is concerned with the tobacco, coffee and cacao industries and very few cereals are raised, rice being grown to only a small extent. The imports of this cereal in 1913 amounted to $736,751; 1914, $485,776; 1915, $908,876; and 1916, $1,080,068. The United States supplied, in 1911 (fiscal year ending 30 June), 35,000 pounds, valued at $1,007; 1912, 43,703 pounds, valued at $1,498; 1913,• 54,290 pounds, valued at $2,367; 1914, 48,750 pounds, valued at $1,418; '1915, 6,706,158 pounds, valued at $289,874; and 1916, 9,301,967 pounds, valued at $369,770.
Haiti, as regards industrial conditions, is closely allied, with the Dominican Republic. The production of rice is exceedingly small. Imports from. the United States in 1912 (fiscal year ending 30 June) amounted to 71,660 pounds, valued at $2,725; 1913, 109,055 pounds, valued at $4,357; 1914, 33,659 pounds, valued at $1,253; 1915, 6,706,158 pounds, valued at $289, 874; 1916, 9,301,967 pounds, valued at $369,770; and 1917, 15,476,048 pounds, valued at $681,837.