All About Coffee Part 53

FEDERATED MALAY STATES. The acreage in coffee in the Federated Malay States is steadily declining. In 1903, coffee plantations covered 22,700 acres; in 1913, 7,695 acres; and in 1916, 4,312 acres. There was formerly a considerable export; but apparently local production is now required for home consumption, as in 1920 exports were practically nothing, and about 9,800 pounds were imported.

BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. Total exports of coffee have reached as high as 50,000 pounds, which was the figure in 1904; but they are much less now; being 5,973 pounds in 1915; 15,109 pounds in 1916; and 1,980 pounds in 1918.

SARAWAK. Previous to 1912, the exportation of coffee from Sarawak, was 20,000 to 45,000 pounds annually. In 1912, a coffee estate of 300 acres was abandoned, and since that time there have been no exports.

PHILIPPINES. Coffee raising was formerly one of the chief industries of the Philippines; but it has now greatly declined, partly because of the blight. Exports reached their highest point in 1883, when 16,805,000 pounds were shipped. Since then, they have fallen off steadily to nothing; and the islands are now importers, although still producing considerable for their own use. The area still under cultivation in 1920 was 2,700 acres; and the production in that year was given as 2,710,000 pounds, as compared with 1,580,000 pounds in 1919, and an average of 1,500,000 pounds for the previous five years.

GUAM. Coffee is a common plant on the island but is not systematically cultivated. There is no exportation, but a Navy Department report says that the possible export is not less than seventy-five tons annually.

HAWAII. A certain amount of coffee has been produced in the Hawaiian Islands for many years, exports being recorded as 49,000 pounds in 1861; as 452,000 pounds in 1870; and as 143,000 pounds in 1877. The trees grow on all the islands; but nearly all the coffee produced is raised on Hawaii. The trees are not carefully cultivated; but the coffee has an excellent flavor. The amount of land planted to coffee is about 6,000 acres. The exports go mostly to continental United States. The exports are increasing, the figures up to 1909 ranging usually between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 pounds, and now usually running between 2,000,000 and 5,000,000 pounds. Including shipments to continental United States, Hawaii exported 5,775,825 pounds in 1918; 3,649,672 pounds in 1919; 2,573,300 pounds in 1920; and 4,979,121 pounds in 1921.

AUSTRALIA. Queensland is the only state of the Commonwealth in which coffee growing has been at all extensively tried; and here the results have, up to the present time, been far from satisfactory. The total area devoted to this crop reached its highest point in the season 1901-02 when an area of 547 acres was recorded. The area then continuously declined to 1906-07, when it was as low as 256 acres. In subsequent seasons the area fluctuated somewhat; but, on the whole, with a downward tendency. In 1919-20, only 24 productive acres were recorded, with a yield of 16,101 pounds. The country is now listed among the consuming rather than the producing countries.

ABYSSINIA. This country, usually credited with being the original home of the coffee plant, still has, in its southern part, vast forests of wild coffee whose extent is unknown, but whose total production is believed to be immense. It is of inferior grade, and reaches the market as "Abyssinian" coffee. There is also a large district of coffee plantations producing a very good grade called "Harari", which is considered almost, if not quite, the equal of the Arabian Mocha. This is usually shipped to Aden for re-export. Abyssinia's coffee reaches the outside world through three different gateways; and as the neighboring countries, through which the produce pa.s.ses, also produce coffee, no accurate statistics are available to show the country's annual export.

The total probably ranges from 10,000,000 to 20,000,000 pounds a year.

Coffee was shipped from Abyssinia to the extent of 6,773,800 pounds in 1914, over the Franco-Ethiopian railroad; 10,054,000 pounds in 1915; and 9,064,000 pounds in 1916. Export figures of the port of Ma.s.sowah include a large amount of Abyssinian coffee, but the proportion is unknown. At this port 108,680 pounds of coffee were exported in 1914; and 1,221,880 pounds in 1915. Abyssinian coffee exported by way of the Sudan amounted to 232,616 pounds in 1914; to 140,461 pounds in 1915; and to 4,164,600 pounds in 1916.

BRITISH EAST AFRICAN PROTECTORATE. The acreage in coffee has greatly increased in recent years. It was estimated at 1,000 acres in 1911; and by 1916, it had grown to 22,200 acres. Production, as shown by the exports, has likewise increased greatly; and exports in recent years have averaged about 8,000,000 pounds a year. They were 10,984,000 pounds in 1917; and were 18,735,000 pounds in 1918.

UGANDA PROTECTORATE. The acreage in coffee has been steadily increasing, as shown by the following figures: 1910, 697 acres; 1914, 19,278 acres; 1916, 23,857 acres; 1917, 22,745 acres. In 1909, 33,440 pounds of coffee were produced; and by 1918, this had grown to 10,000,000 pounds. The average for the five years, 1914-18, was 5,076,000 pounds.

NYASALAND PROTECTORATE. Twenty-five years ago, this colony exported coffee in amounts ranging from 300,000 to more than 2,000,000 pounds.

Production has now so declined, that only 122,000 pounds were exported in 1918; and the average for recent years has been about 92,000 pounds.

The acreage in bearing in 1903 was 8,234; and in 1917 it was 1,237.

NIGERIA. Production has been falling off in recent years. Exports were 35,000 pounds in 1896; 57,000 pounds in 1901; and 70,000 pounds in 1909.

In 1916 and 1917, however, they were only about 3,000 pounds.

GOLD COAST. This colony formerly produced considerable coffee, exporting 142,000 pounds in 1896. There have been no exports in recent years, except about 440 pounds in 1916, and 660 pounds in 1917.

SOMALILAND PROTECTORATE. Exports of coffee were more than 7,500,000 pounds in 1897, indicating a very extensive production. But since then, there has been a steady decline; and in 1918 only about 440,000 pounds were shipped.

SOMALI COAST (FRENCH). Exports of coffee from this colony amounted to more than 5,000,000 pounds in 1902; and since then, they have remained fairly steadily at that figure, showing considerable increase in late years. Total exports in 1917 were 11,200,000 pounds.

ITALIAN SOMALILAND. Some coffee appears to be grown in this colony; but exports have been inconsiderable for many years.

SIERRA LEONE. Production has been steadily declining for twenty years.

Exports were 33,376 pounds in 1903; 17,096 pounds in 1913; and 8,228 pounds in 1917.

MAURITIUS. In former times this island was an important coffee producer, exports in the early part of the nineteenth century running as high as 600,000 pounds. Today there is practically no export, and only about 30 acres are in bearing, producing 4,000 to 8,000 pounds a year.

ReUNION. This island also was once a notable grower of coffee. A century ago, production was estimated as high as 10,000,000 pounds; and this rate of output continued well through the nineteenth century. In the present century, production has fallen off; and only about 530,000 pounds were exported in 1909. The decrease has continued, so that the average in recent years has been only about 25,000 pounds.

_Coffee Consumption_

Of the million or more tons of coffee produced in the world each year, practically all--with the exception of that which is used in the coffee-growing countries themselves--is consumed by the United States and western Europe, the British dominions, and the non-producing countries of South America. Over that vast stretch of territory beginning with western Russia, and extending over almost the whole of Asia, coffee is very little known. In the consuming regions mentioned, moreover, consumption is concentrated in a few countries, which together account for some ninety percent of all the coffee that enters the world's markets. These are, the United States, which now takes more than one-half, and Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and Scandinavia.

The United Kingdom stands out conspicuously among the nations of western Europe as a small consumer of coffee, the per capita consumption in that country being only about two-thirds of a pound each year. France and Germany are by far the biggest coffee buyers of Europe so far as actual quant.i.ty is concerned; although some of the other countries mentioned drink much more coffee in proportion to the population. The Mediterranean countries and the Balkans are of only secondary importance as coffee drinkers. Among the British dominions, the Union of South Africa takes much the largest amount, doubtless because of the Dutch element in its population; while Canada, Australia, and New Zealand show the influence of the mother country, consumption per head in the last two being no greater than in England.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 4--WORLD'S COFFEE CONSUMPTION, 1850-1920

Diagram showing the relationship between the leading coffee-consuming countries]

In South America, Brazil, Bolivia, and all the countries to the north, are coffee producers. Of the southern countries, Argentina is the chief coffee buyer, with Chile second. In the western hemisphere, however, the largest per capita coffee consumer is the island of Cuba, which raises some coffee of its own and imports heavily from its neighbors.

The list of coffee-consuming countries includes practically all those that do not raise coffee, and also a few that have some coffee plantations, but do not grow enough for their own use. These countries are listed on page 287. Consumption figures can be determined with fair accuracy by the import figures; although in some countries, where there is a considerable transit trade, it is necessary to deduct export from import figures to obtain actual consumption figures. The import figures given are the latest available for each country named.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 5--COFFEE IMPORTS, 1916-1920

In this diagram a comparison is drawn between the coffee imports of the leading consuming countries over a critical 5-year period]

GENERAL COFFEE CONSUMPTION TABLE

_Country_ _Year_ _Imports_ _Exports_ _Consumption_ (pounds) (pounds) (pounds)

United States 1921[j] 1,345,366,943[k] 41,813,197[k] 1,303,553,746 Canada 1921[l] 17,517,353 20,349 17,497,004 Newfoundland 1920[l] 46,813[m] 46,813 United Kingdom 1921[j] 34,363,728[m] 34,360,128 France 1921[j] 322,419,884 1,154,769 321,265,115 Spain 1920 48,518,854 5,033 48,513,821 Portugal 1919[j] 6,926,575 1,258,271 5,668,304 Belgium 1921[j] 105,365,586 21,541,049 83,824,537 Holland 1921[j] 135,566,943 66,567,702 69,999,241 Denmark 1921[j] 46,571,954 3,449,537 43,122,417 Norway 1921[j] 29,835,544 169,921 29,665,623 Sweden 1921[j] 89,660,766 89,660,766 Finland 1921[j] 27,968,355 27,968,355 Russia 1916 9,801,014 9,801,014 Austria-Hungary 1917 17,966,167 56,217 17,909,950 (former) Austria 1921[n] 5,128,781 79,365 5,049,416 Germany (former) 1913 371,130,520 1,783,521 369,346,999 Germany (present) 1921[o] 167,675,258 210,535 167,464,723 Poland 1920 7,612,526 26,781 7,585,745 Bulgaria 1914 1,300,493 1,300,493 Rumania 1919 5,134,198 66,757 5,067,441 Greece 1920[p] 13,118,626 13,118,626 Switzerland 1921[j] 31,582,879 47,619 31,535,260 Italy 1920 66,509,255 14,330 66,494,925 Algeria 1920 17,273,041 17,273,041 Tunis 1920 3,458,018 3,458,018 Egypt 1921[j] 20,939,542 218,938 20,720,604 Union of S. Africa 1920 28,752,538 954,181[q] 27,798,357 Northern Rhodesia 1920 43,880 8,263 35,617 Southern Rhodesia 1920 325,900 10,064 315,836 Mozambique 1919 111,614 78,973 32,641 Ceylon 1920 1,853,537 2,240 1,851,297 China 1920 613,217 297,663 315,554 j.a.pan 1920 684,826 684,826 Philippines 1920 3,475,530 26 3,475,504 Canary Islands 1917 529,104 529,104 Cyprus 1918 451,880 451,880 Australia 1920[l] 2,502,429 263,430[r] 2,238,999 New Zealand 1920 304,737 21,104 283,633 Cuba 1920[l] 39,983,001 1,305 39,981,696 Martinique 1918 335,099 10,362 324,737 Panama 1920 216,923 518 216,405 Argentina 1919 37,541,020 37,541,020 Chile 1920 12,357,929 12,357,929 Uruguay 1921[p] 4,896,507 4,896,507 Paraguay 1920 262,737 262,737

[j] Preliminary figures.

[k] Figures are for continental U.S. Imports include both foreign coffee and coffee from our Island possessions. Exports Include both foreign and domestic exports from continental U.S. and also exports to our island possessions.

[l] Fiscal year.

[m] Entered for home consumption.

[n] First six months. Imports in 1920 were 6,042,808 pounds; exports 93,034 pounds.

[o] Eight months, May-December.

[p] First eleven months.

[q] Exports of foreign coffee. Domestic exports were 48,463 pounds.

[r] Exports of foreign coffee. Domestic exports were 208,445 pounds.

On account of the very wide fluctuations in imports during the war and the period following the war, per capita figures of consumption are of only relative value, as they have naturally changed radically in recent years. For the most part, however, the trade has about swung back to normal; and per capita figures based on the amounts retained for consumption, as given in the General Coffee Consumption Table, are fairly close to those for the years before the war. As per capita calculations must take into account population as well as amounts of coffee consumed; and as population figures are usually estimates, the results arrived at by different authorities are likely to vary slightly, although usually they are not far apart. In figuring the per capita amounts in the table on page 288, latest available estimates of population have been used. The figures show that the following are the ten leading countries in the per capita consumption of coffee in pounds:

1. Sweden 15.25 6. Norway 10.95 2. Cuba 13.79 7. Holland 10.22 3. Denmark 13.19 8. Finland 8.25 4. United States 12.09 9. Switzerland 8.17 5. Belgium 11.06 10. France 7.74

The per capita consumption of the most important coffee-consuming countries, based on the large table, is given with the 1913 per capita figures for comparison:

PER CAPITA COFFEE CONSUMPTION TABLE

_Country Year Pounds Pds_., 1913

United States 1921 12.09 8.90[t]

Canada 1921[s] 1.93 2.17[u]

Newfoundland 1920[s] 0.19 0.19[t]