Costa Maya, Q.R. — The intense drought that has continued this year has caused a 50 percent reduction in sugarcane production in fields along the Rio Hondo.
According to head of the Sugar Producers Union, Martín Barajas, they have only managed to harvest 970,000 tons of sugarcane for the 2019 season, a significant decrease from the previous year.
Barajas says that this year’s continued drought has damaged at least 50 percent of their crops, adding that although there is still about 100 days left in the season, at least 5,000 producers will end the season without a profit.
Martín Barajas clarified that the recent rainfalls have come too late and do not compensate for the damage already done to the fields, noting that approximately 15,000 hectares were affected by the intense drought.
“We are talking about that in this harvest (only) we process half of what we did last year. This puts us in an economically difficult situation, not only to those of us who work in the sugar mill, but to all of us who depend on the crop,” he explained.
“The lag will be reflected for two years because the cultivation of the cane takes 18 months to harvest, so if there is no rain to sow, how are we going to have product to sap next year,” he inquired.
The head of the sugarcane union said that the picture is complex, that it speaks of millions in losses, which will cause the hiring of cutters to be reduced by half.
