1
UNITED
NATIONS
ECONOMIC
AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL
GEMERAI
E/CN.12/AC.37/SR.4
23 May 1957
ENGLISH
ORIGINAL:SPANISH
U i M I M I M n i l l l l H > M M M t U ( l ( l M U M < t i l > H i n i H I H M I i l ( l l | > I I > M l t | l l | i l l l l l < I I I M I I | l ( ( l | { | t l M l l l l f l l > M I ) M I > H M I I I I < M II 1111MI II I U ( f H ' I II MI l l l l i l i t ( i l l U l i U t l t l l l I II t I t l l i l t Ii II IM 111111 il I i i l U I i IU111H ( 111H1111 (< < < l ( l ( l i l ( IH >
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA
Seventh session
La P a z , ' B o l i v i a
15 May 1957
COMMITTEE I I I
(Agrieulture)
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FOURTH MEETING
Held a t
La Paz on T h u r s d a y ,
23 May 1957, a t
10.10
a.m.
CONTENTS :
Productivity
of
the c o f f e e
industry
(E/CN.12/435)
D r a f t r e s o l u t i o n s u b m i t t e d by t h e d e l e g a t i o n
( C o n f e r e n c e R®om P a p e r Mo.20)
Agricultural
productivity
(continued)
of
Ecuador
E/CN.12/AC.37/SR.4
Page 2 . .
PRESENT':
Chairman s
' later :
Mr, HALES
Mr. LOPEZ AVILA
Chile
Bolivia
Rapporteur :
Mr. LOPEZ AVILA
Bolivia
Mr. PICO
Argentina
Members:
Mr. VALDIVIA ALTAMIRANO B o l i v i a
Mr. SILVA PINTO
Brazil
Mr. MORERA BATRE
Costa Rica
Mr a RODRIGUEZ
Ecuador
Mr. DUARTE
El Salvador
Mr. RICHARD
France
Mr. ARIS
Guatemala
Mr. MONDRAGO II
Honduras
Mr. ACOSTA
Mexico
Mr. DORR
United S t a t e s
America
Mr. HERNANDEZ
Venezuela
of
Also present:
Representatives
of s p e c i a l i z e d
agencies :
Mr. EZEKIEL)
)
' Mr « MOSER )
Food and A g r i c u l t u r e
.Organization >
Secretariat :
Mr. URQUIDI
D i r e c t o r , Economic
Commission f o r L a t i n
America, Mexico O f f i c e
Mr. TRIVELLI
S e c r e t a r y of
G omini t t e e
the
/PRODUCTIVITY
E/CN.12/AC.37/SR.1
Pag.
3
PRODUCTIVITY OP THE COFFEE INDUSTRY (E/CN.12/435)
Mr. URQUIDI
(Director,
Mexico O f f i c e
t h e s t u d y on the p r o d u c t i v i t y
dor p r e p a r e d
year
jointly
1954-55;
presented
of t h e c o f f e e i n d u s t r y i n E l
by FAO and ECLA.
a further
o f ECLA)
study,
The study c o v e r e d
on Colombia,
Salva-
the
was n e a r i n g
com-
pletion.
Although the t e c h n i c a l
w e l l known t o the n a t i o n a l
t h e study
merit
of
submitted
for
systematic
country.
a number of
of
coffee
the Committee's
cultivation
agencies
were
concerned,
c o n s i d e r a t i o n had
the
.mi'Y&tf' of; the in-
I t was based on a sample
1,008 farms and had been c a r r i e d
assistance
of
and i n t e r n a t i o n a l
o f f e r i n g the f i r s t
d u s t r y i n .a s p e c i f i c
aspects
out 'with the h i g h l y
of
useful
agoncies
g o v e r n m e n t a l and p r i v a t e
of
i
El Salvador,
which he thanked on b e h a l f
The study made i t
input
of
capital
labour,
possible
materials
in the a g r i c u l t u r a l
production
and. e x p o r t s
based on t h e age of
t o determine
for
o f ECLA .and FAO.
to determine
(fertilizers,
cycle
the f i g u r e s
insecticides
1954-55.
not monetary c o s t s
etc.)
and
The p r o j e c t i o n s
the next f i v e - y e a r
the c o f f e c t r e e s ;
for
period
the o b j e c t i v e
were
had been
of p r o d u c t i o n but r e a l
physical
costs.
The r e s u l t s
utilization
Salvador
America.
of
of
t h e study c o n f i r m e d t h a t t h e i n t e n s i t y
labour
i n c o f f e e c u l t i v a t i o n was h i g h e r
than i n any o t h e r
c o f f e e producing
The a v e r a g e u t i l i s a t i o n
of
country in
in
of
El
Latin
l a b o u r per h e c t a r e
/nature
for
coffee
of
E/CN.12/AG.37/SR.4'
Pago 4nature
c o f f e e p l a n t a t i o n was 1,566 man-hours,
labour
used i n the
high labour
input
establishment
corresponded
grammes p e r h e c t a r e yield
in the w o r l d .
labour
i n p u t and
of
not
such p l a n t a t i o n s .
t o an a v e r a g e y i e l d
according
660
kilo-
to the data a v a i l a b l e
the
highest
T h e r e was a v e r y
close relation
Mr Lopez A y i l a
p o l i c y with r e s p e c t
(Bolivia)
Mr. DIIARTE ( E l S a l v a d o r )
90 p e r
cent
the
of
gain wider
to
coffee,
present
It
took
El Salvador's
knowledge
t h a t was o f
to
possible
coffee
cultivation,
c o f f e e was o f
great
contributing
80 t o
earnings.
would make i t
possible
t h e p r o b l e m s and p r o j e c t i o n s
relating
cultivation
particular
when some i n s t a b i l i t y
importance
at a time
i n market p r i c e s
was
like
productivity
intensity
of
labour r e s u l t e d
per h e c t a r e . ' In h i s v i e w ,
the
apparent.
would a l s o be u s e f u l t o d e t e r m i n e what was t h e
by which i n c r e a s e d
to
Chair,
country,
export
coffee
of
the
said t h a t
economy o f h i s
The s t u d y made o f
to
between
yield.
f o r m u l a t e a more p r e c i s e
to
That
of
The s t u d y b e f o r e t h e Committee would make i t
importance
including
in
a multiple
process
declining
correlation
s h o u l d have been made i n t h e s t u d y b e t w e e n p e r h e c t a r e , p r o d u c t i vity
and t h e t i m e v a r i a b l e .
rainfall,
It
Meteorological
had a marked i n f l u e n c e
on per h e c t a r e
would a l s o be u s e f u l t o knot' t h e e f f e c t
insecticide
and f e r t i l i z e r s
Forecasts
of
factors,
including
productivity.
ex t h e use
of
on y i e l d s .
coffee yields
in the v a r i o u s
f o r e c a s t s which were o f t e n based on u n r e l i a b l e
countries
data -
/important
-
had
ropercussions
E/CN.12/AC.37/SR.3
Page 5
important repercussions
therefore,
if
on world markets.
the s p e c i a l i z e d
agencies
I t might be u s e f u l ,
could h e l p the
coffee-
\
producing
countries
i n the p r e p a r a t i o n of more r e l i a b l e
t h a t would e x e r c i s e , a r e g u l a r i z i n g
i n f l u e n c e on
forecasts
international
quotations*
Mr. AC05TA ( M e x i c o )
they had c a r r i e d
c o n g r a t u l a t e d FAO ar.d ECLA on the
out i n El S a l v a d o r .
could c a r r y out a s i m i l a r
study
I t would be u s e f u l i f
study in Moxico,
recommend the most s u i t a b l e methods f o r
or i f
they
t h e y could .
such s t u d i o s t o
other
countries *
Mr. EZEKIEL
(Food and A g r i c u l t u r e
Organization)
said
that
i n the study on E l S a l v a d o r no e x h a u s t i v e a n a l y s i s had been made
of t h e p r o d u c t i v i t y
country.
make i t
or e f f i c i e n c y of
A more complete a n a l y s i s
straight-line
like
ing returns,
other
crops,
and e v e n
The p o s s i b i l i t y
preparation
if
was s u b j e c t t o tho law of
i n c r e a s e d with a l t i t u d e up to a c e r t a i n l i m i t ,
insecticides
a large
of
of
study
A s i m i l a r r u l e applied to
that
relation.
diminish-
and i n the case i n p o i n t t h e r e was no doubt
t h e y tended t o d e c l i n e .
would
That was due t o the f a c t
a v e r a g e s had been used, not a c u r v i l i n e a r
all
that
the economies
For example, no c o r r e l a t i o n was made i n the
between a l t i t u d e and land y i e l d .
yields
in
of t h e f a c t o r s i n v o l v e d
p o s s i b l e t o g i v e a f u l l e r p i c t u r e of
production.
Coffee,
coffee cultivation
that
after
which
fertilizers,
labour.
of
c o - o p e r a t i o n between FAO and ECLA i n the
f o r e c a s t s would depend on the programme of
enough number of
c o u n t r i e s were i n t e r e s t e d
workj
i n the
/idea
of
E/.CN.12/AC.37/SR.4.
Page 6
idea
be
of
a sort
of
training
centre
on f o r e c a s t i n g
might
organized»
Mr. SILVA PINTO ( B r a z i l )
of t h e
c o f f e e industry
attention
vious
said t h a t
year's
Inter-American
able
assistance
would^ a l l
reduce
in the s p e c i a l
in solving
costs
So f a r
of
of
as c o n c e r n e d
calculation
of
1948-52.
On page x i
countries.
the
of
discus-
the
consider-
c o f f e e marketing,
conditions
labour
of
cultivation
he
productivity
On page i x
of
t h e r e was an a n a l y s i s
as
and
expressed
in
man-days
the a p p l i c a t i o n
of
the
study a
other
in El
countries
for
that
Yet i t
advanced
to
compariSalvador
the
comparison.
of
the r e l a t i o n
between
t h e f o r m i n which t h e d a t a were
c o n v e y the i m p r e s s i o n
two f a c t o r s .
of
per h e c t a r e y i e l d
That was not a v a l i d
I n p u t and y i e l d s i
between the
losing
man-hours would have been more u s e f u l and h e l p f u l
i n 1954-55 and t h e a v e r a g e y i e l d s
might
that
C o u n c i l would be o f
of
Brazil,
America was
t h e s t u d y on E l S a l v a d o r ,
son was made between t h e a v e r a g e
labour
in
pre-
production.
t h e L a t i n American
period
Latin
He t h o u g h t
the problems
made t o improve
the view that the
instead
production
draw
Latin
than t h e
c o f f e e sub-committee
Economic and S o c i a l
efforts
of
That meant t h a t
ground i n t h e w o r l d market t o A f r i c a .
t o be h e l d
I n 1955-56 t h e
cent smaller
crop,, owing t o the d e c l i n e
importance
B r a z i l he w i s h e d t o
points«
c r o p had been 13 per
Colombia and V e n e z u e l a .
sions
in v i e w of the
t o t h e economy o f
t o a number o f r e l e v a n t
American c o f f e e
with
methods
t h e r e was a c a u s a l
presented
relationship
had been found i n B r a z i l
that
technical
could
methods y i e l d s
/be
increased
E/CN.12/AC.37/SR.3
Page 7
be i n c r e a s e d
by as much as 80 per c e n t w i t h t h e sano
labour
force.
Insufficient
Salvador
a t t e n t i o n had boon g i v e n i n the study on E l
to e c o l o g i c a l
and s o i l
conditions,
be t a k e n i n t o account i n any f u t u r e
Mr. URQUIDI
(Director,
Brazilian representative
remarks and premised t h a t
the f i n a l v e r s i o n of
its
authors,
other
the l a r g e
and t e c h n i c a l
intended
to
said
ability
studies
such, as B o l i v i a ,
producers,
that
should be c a r r i e d
which w h i l e
encourage
it
coffee
Mr. HERNANDEZ ( V e n e z u e l a )
and i r o n o r e .
amounted t o 300,000 h e c t a r e s ,
recent years
divided
of
hr.d, h o w e v e r ,
initiated
of
and had a p p l i e d
t o take advantage
l a b o u r t o the o i l
of
its
c o f f e e was h i s
coffoe
country's
The a r e a under
coffee
among 60,000 f a r m s .
industry.
In
owing t o t h e
i n t h e neighbourhood
the migration
in
quantities.
p r o d u c t i o n had te-nded t o d e c l i n e ,
donment of t h e p l a n t a t i o n s
production
said t h a t
out
of
Caracas
abanand
The Government
a campaign t o improve t h e t e c h n i c a l
tariff
to
production.
and had even e x p o r t e d
small
testi-
was not among
production,
oil
nature,
which was a c r e d i t
s e v e n or e i g h t y e a r s B o l i v i a had t r i p l e d
item a f t e r
the
the study
In the l a s t
main e x p o r t
they
tho study on Colombia,
and t h a t s i m i l a r
countries
an experimental
which had been of
Mr. VALPIVIA ALTAMIRAM0 ( B o l i v i a )
f i e d to a s c i e n t i f i c
tho
Mexico O f f i c e o f SOLA) thanked
f o r his
and i n t h e p r e p a r a t i o n o f
should
study.
would be borne i n nind i n p r e p a r i n g
s t u d y on E l S a l v a d o r ,
f a c t o r s which
p r o t e c t i o n measures,
t h e f a v o u r a b l e market c o n d i t i o n s
to
methods
in
order
increase
/production
in
E/CN.12/AC.37/SR.3
Page
1400
production
i n the next f i v e - y e a r
Mr. Hales
(Chile)
period.
resumed the
Chair.
DRAFT RESOLUTION SUBMITTED BI THE DELEGATION OF ECUADOR
ence Room Paper
No.20)
Mr. RODRIGUEZ ( E c u a d o r ) ,
resolution,
factors
cultural production.
regard
bring
of his
on y i e l d
into
was,
of
course,
ef
solving
convert,
The
2 August
markets,
purpose,
with
and t o
subject.
resolution.
a latifundia
system
An example
of
which had been i n i t i a t e d
d e l e g a t i o n would have l i k e d
i n f o r m a t i o n on t h e p r o g r e s s
judge i t s
merits
y e a r s d u r i n g which i t
vourable
and
on
1953.
The B o l i v i a n
to
agri-
the p r o b l e m ,
one which was e c o n o m i c a l l y more e f f i c i e n t .
agrarian reform,
of
of
supported the d r a f t
d i f f i c u l t to
basic
seek some guidance
i n f o r m a t i o n on the
(Bolivia)
draft
latifundia
integration
and p r o d u c t i v i t y .
t o t h e a p p r o p r i a t e methods f o r
t h a t was B o l i v i a ' s
fair
of
d r a f t r e s o l u t i o n was t o
Mr. LOPEZ AVILA
It
land t e n u r e were
the e x i s t e n c e
with the lack
about ar, exchange of
delegation's
impeding the improvement
In E v a d o r
together
had a marked e f f e c t
therefore,
presenting his
s a i d t h a t t h e problems o f
in the d i f f i c u l t i e s
minifundia,
(Confer-
had been i n e f f e c t had been h i g h l y
unfa-
Government would p r e s e n t
next s e s s i o n .
conditions.
'a
since
would not be
three
\
a t the moment,
but i t
some
the
owing t o w e a t h e r
ECLA a t i t s
of t h e r e f o r m ,
to give
two o f
He b e l i e v e d
complete r e p o r t
that
his
on the s u b j e c t
to
He a g r e e d w i t h t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e
/Ecuador
that
of
E/CN, 12/ AC,37/ SR.4.
Page 9
Ecuador t h a t t h e r n i n i f u n d i a system should be s t u d i e d
to i t s
but s u g g e s t e d t h a t
deleted.
of
to the f r u i t
many of
(Brazil)
supported the d r a f t
paragraph
The s t a t e m e n t
experience
Brazil,
(a)
in that
where
and v e g e t a b l e
of
paragraph was c o n t r a r y
rninifundia
made a g r e a t
p r o d u c t i o n of
rninifundia
(b)
"politically
and e c o n o m i c a l l y more
were o r g a n i z e d
of.great
said
into societies
importance
and the e a r n i n g s
on account
they
if
smallholders,
cf
their
by t h e words
rninifundia
their
units
production
represented.
paragraph
(a)
M e x i c o h e l p e d both l a r g e
of
support
t h e preamble was
attitude
the
retained,
towards
and s m a l l f a r m e r s t o
rnini-
maintain
production.
Mr. HERNANDEZ ( V e n e z u e l a )
representative
(a)
serious"
which were
t h e volume o f
fc-r t h a t paragraph showed a d i s p a r a g i n g
fundia.
"more
the
country the
The Mexican d e l e g a t i o n would be unable t o
draft resolution
For
over-
important".
that in his
of
Moreover,
t h e problem had been
t h e preamble should be r e p l a c e d
Mr. ACOSTA (Mexico^
the
contribution
in co-operatives.
i n paragraph
to
the country.
f o r e g o i n g r e a s o n s he s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e words
of
resolution
t h e preamble should be
the t e c h n i c a l d i f f i c u l t i e s ' cf
by g r o u p i n g t h e
1
relation
productivity.
Mr. SILVA PINTO
come
in
the
he could not support t h e s t a t e m e n t
o f t he p r e a m b l e ,
agrarian policy
said t h a t l i k e
because i t
of h i s
country.
Brazilian
in
paragraph
was i n c o n t r a d i c t i o n w i t h
In V e n e z u e l a
rninifundia
from two t o t e n h e c t a r e s were t o be found round tho l a r g e
/and
they
the
of
towns,
E/CN.12/AC.37/SR.3
Page 10
and t h e y were e f f e c t i v e u n i t s
of p r o d u c t i o n .
Whether or not
the
m i n i f u n d i a system was p r e j u d i c i a l t o p r o d u c t i v i t y depended on
the i n t e g r a t i o n
each
or the form o f o r g a n i z a t i o n
agriculture
in
country,
Mr. LOPEZ AVILA
small a g r i c u l t u r a l
b a s i c needs o f
(Bolivia)
units
t o do xiith t h e s i z e
ductivity.
it
could
be
Mr..RODRIGUEZ
of
the
factor;
could be a l a r g e
(Ecuador)
t o o k part',
nothing
to i t s
i n some
property,
pro-
countries
whereas
agreed to the d e l e t i o n
of
Argentina,
Brazil,
of
Guatemala,
t h e CHAIRMAN p r o p o s e d t h a t ,
a mendments t h a t had been s u g g e s t e d ,
a- w o r k i n g
and the s p i r i t
group,
Brazil,
Venezuela,
reconciling
It
p r o p e r t y but was r e l a t e d
f u r t h e r d i s c u s s i o n cn t h e d r a f t r e s o l u t i o n ,
both t h e l e t t e r
Bolivia,
o f m i n i f u n d i a had
in
anti-economic.
the r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s
various
the c o n c e p t
paragraph
preamble.
After
Venezuela
that
of t h e
ten hectares
such
family.
The s i z e was a r e l a t i v e
an a r e a of
others
d e c l a r e d t h a t m i n i f u n d i a were
t h a t t h e y d i d not s a t i s f y even the most
the p e a s a n t
The CHAIFtMAN s a i d
(a)
of
of
Mexico,
i n v i e w of
the o r i g i n a l
draft
of
the United S t a t e s
should be s e t up t o p r e p a r e a new d r a f t
the v a r i o u s
was so
ideas
t h a t had been
Mexico and
some of which
composed of t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s
Ecuador,
i n which
the
changed
resolution,
Argentina,
of
America and
resolution
expressed.
decided.
/AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
E/CN.12/AC.37/SR.3
Page 11
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
(continued)
The CHAIRMAN asked t h e Committee t o a l l o w him t o
the d e b a t e on a g r i c u l t u r a l
amendment o f t h e v o t e
the d r a f t r e s o l u t i o n
productivity
paragraph 2 of
that
for
appearing
i n C o n f e r e n c e Room Paper
of A m e r i c a )
explained
t h a t he had
the o p e r a t i v e
clarity
part of t h e r e s o l u t i o n .
the words
"at the request
(a)
paragraph
(b).
and t h e i r
terras o f r e f e r e n c e " should be r e p l a c e d by
paragraph 2. and a g a i n a t the b e g i n n i n g
He a l s o p r o p o s e d
resources
t h a t the words
and terms o f
"their
sub-
of
sub-
resources
"their
delegation
approved.
Mr. DORR ( U n i t e d S t a t e s
phrase
of America)
" t o g e t h e r w i t h FAO" i m p l i e d
Mr. EZEKIEL
if
provide
technical
it,
asked
whether
that technical
was t o be g i v e n by ECLA and FAO a c t i n g
that
of
reference".
The amendments proposed by the U n i t e d S t a t e s
were
He s u g g e s t e d
c o n c e r n e d " should be added a t the b e g i n n i n g
of
of
o f t he
paragraph
respective
No,9.
t o put f o r w a r d w i t h r e g a r d t o t h e s t y l e
greater
Governments
i n o r d e r t o p e r m i t an
t h a t had been taken the p r e v i o u s day on
Mr. DORR ( U n i t e d S t a t e s
some s u g g e s t i o n s
reopen
(Food and A g r i c u l t u r e
the
assistance
jointly.
Organization)
explained
a s s i s t a n c e was r e q u i r e d FAO would be asked
and t h a t i f
it
ECLA and FAO would a c t i n
was-a q u e s t i o n of
concert.
The m e e t i n g r o s e a t 12.10 p.m.
undertaking
to
studies