Venezuela, an economic report / Presented by students of the School of Foreign Service, as an aid to the foreign trade of the United States

by Georgetown University. School of Foreign Service

Venezuela produces an uncultivated vanilla plant called "vanilla lutescens," but that commonly known to commerce is the more aromatic kind called "vanilla plantifola." The cultivation of this product has not been fostered to any great extent. It grows readily in the rich soil of the States of Falçon, Lara, Bolívar, Anzoatequí and Zamora. No official figures are available as to the production, cultivation or export of this product, although there is a good opportunity for further development.

COCOANUTS

There are many cocoanut tree plantations in Venezuela, chiefly in the regions of Zulia, Carabobo, Bolívar, Barcelona and Cumaná. Cocoanuts are used for various reasons abroad and in the United States, therefore the cultivation of this natural product could be fostered so as to make it an article of export on a large scale and it would become a profitable investment not requiring a large capital. In 1913 there were invested in Venezuela in the cultivation of cocoanut trees $1,095,200.

INDIAN CORN

This product is successfully cultivated in all the States of Venezuela where it grows in every kind of soil, from the level of the sea to 2,800 meters above it. It thrives best, however, at an altitude of 500 to 1,000 meters. There are about 73,131 acres in Venezuela devoted to the production of corn, and the total amount raised is estimated at 150,000 metric tons. Special attention has lately been paid to the cultivation of corn, which is the real bread-plant in Venezuela, especially in the interior of the country, and a considerable quantity of Indian corn has been exported.

BEANS

Beans are also successfully grown in all the States of Venezuela and a great variety of them are produced. Those having the greatest demand are the "black beans." Their production not only meets the domestic demand but they have been lately exported in considerable quantities. They grow readily at all times of the year and are one of the principal articles of domestic commerce in Venezuela.

INDIGO

This product was introduced into Venezuela in 1777 and planted near La Victoria and later in many other places. The best quality was produced at San Sebastian. Due to the high price attained by coffee many years ago, the cultivation of indigo was abandoned. In 1902 the exportation of indigo amounted to 1,876,510 pounds having a value of $2,450,000.