Recovery rates and intermediate products


 Certain of the products with which we are concerned undergo some processing within
the West Indies. This varies from simple milling processes, such as those deriving
milled rice from rough rice, to fairly complicated secondary processes such as manu-
facturing canned fruit juices or soaps and cooking oils, or (in Jamaica only) condensed
and evaporated milk. In this chapter we outline these processes and endeavour to indicate
how efficiency in these processes affects the yield.

 The rate at which sugar is recovered from sugar cane is partly a measure of efficiency.
The rate may, however, be more closely related to the sucrose content of the sugar cane.
This is determined partly by plant types but mainly by weather conditions. In some cases,
sucrose content is affected by the sugar cane's having been burned, either deliberately or
accidentally.

 The efficiency in the factory itself varies according to the age of the machinery, stan-
dards of management and supervision. The size of the factory is also important. In
St. Kitts, where there is one large centralised factory, the grinding rate is 125 tons of
sugar cane an hour, while in Barbados and Jamaica, where there are a number of smaller,
less efficient factories, the average grinding rate is 37.37 and 56.17 tons an hour,
respectively.

 In Table llg we have shown the tons of sugar cane necessary to make a ton of sugar.
 It will be noted that there is a great deal of variation between territories, which is as
 much due to differing climatic conditions as to factory efficiencies. Since changes in
 recovery rates are likely to be marginal, we have not projected any change in the existing
 rates for-the period 1960-75.

 Rice milling rates, on the other hand, are expected to increase. This follows the
 change from a large number of small, poorly equipped mills to larger, more centralised
 mills utilising modern machinery. The estimated rates are shown in Table 12c, and
 account has been take of these in our projections.

 Both cocoa and coffee undergo some processing. This takes the form of fermenting
 in the case of cocoa and roasting in the case of coffee. Little information is available
 on recovery rates. We expect some increase in the efficiency of fermenting cocoa since
 here, too, there is a trend to more centralised fermentaries, but we have not been able
 to isolate this factor from others influencing yields. In coconuts, the problem of deter-
 mining the number of nuts necessary to make a ton of copra or of raw oil is aggravated
 by the fact that there are usually primary processes that take place on the farm or
 plantation. Some estimated recovery rates are, however, shown in Table 18b. We do
 not expect any decline.

 In sea island cotton, recovery rates can be influenced by ginning efficiency and by the
 proportion of stains to clean lint. We have not been able to project any changes since
 the present state of the industry (discussed elsewhere) is hardly likely to encourage
 investment into improved methods.


113