Effects of the 1884

The sugar industry in the Caribbean faced numerous difficulties during the 1880 and 90s. One of the difficulties faced by the planters resulted from the shortage of labour. When the period of apprenticeship came to an end the free people tried to leave plantations to pursue other jobs including: trading, small farming or becoming craft workers. Others, not being able to change their job ventured to other plantations where wages were higher. As a result of these actions sugar production in the British Caribbean fell by almost a third. The territories most affected were British Guainía and Jamaica, which relied heavily on the work of the enslaved. This shortage of labour could have been conciliated if the planters had tried to reduce their production costs by modernization and mechanization. The lack of technology also contributed to the adversities faced by the planters. The planters, knowing that they had an established market in the Colonies ignorantly carried on with their archaic methods, while other countries such as Mexico and India utilized new technological advancements such as cattle that could plough. The improvement in the technology of other countries also meant greater competition for British West Indies Planters. In Cuba for example, a rail way system was implemented to maximize acreage and factories created for more efficient crop production. Cuba also had the advantage that their soil had not been overused and they were able to refine their own sugar. In fact, in 1882 Cuba's sugar production was 5 times that of British Guiana's and 19 times that of Jamaica's! Another factor causing the planters distress was their lack of capital caused by emancipation. In theory, the period of apprenticeship should have provided the planters with time to adjust to cash economy, but as they made very little effort to do so and thus, had very little working capital. As a result merchant houses no longer lent them anything, as they had no money to repay them and banking houses failed as planters defaulted on their loans.