The progress made by some 4,000 Jewish colonists and their families settled on the land of the Jewish Colonization Association in Argentina, was reviewed here today by Mr. Louis Oungre, general manager of the JCA, upon his return from an inspection trip to the Argentine settlements.
Pointing out that the property owned by the Jewish colonists is valued at $6,000,000, Mr. Oungre estimated that the livestock alone is worth $2,500,000. The Jewish settlers, he said, are less hard hit than the large native farmers by the depression in agriculture resulting from present world war conditions. Guided and financially supported by the JCA, they have adapted themselves to the new situation and are concentrating on cattle breeding and production of dairy commodities. Jewish farmers have been given awards at agricultural exhibitions and competitions held throughout Argentina.
The total population in the Jewish colonies, Mr. Oungre stated, is about 28,000, forming nine percent of the total Jewish population in the country. This includes Jewish settlers in the villages which have sprung up near the colonies and who live in the JCA settlements. They have twelve farmers’ cooperatives with more than 2,500 members and a capital of $500,000. There are also nine dairy cooperatives. The Jewish cooperative movement is considered by the Argentine government as among the best. Last year, despite low prices on cereals, the value of the harvest in the Jewish settlements reached about $2,500,000. The German and Austrian refugees who were settled by the JCA in the colonies since 1936 have adapted themselves to conditions in the country and the 350 refugee families settled there have produced satisfactory results, Mr. Oungre emphasized.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
