Othón P. Blanco, Q.R. — Sugarcane cutters in the state’s south say fires are being used to stay warm during harvesting. Due to the extremely low temperatures, workers have been forced to make fires to during the day to deal with the unusual cold.
Benjamín Gutiérrez Reyes, President of the CNPR Sugarcane Producers Association, said they are currently harvesting fields near the Rio Hondo riverbank. He reported that on February 2, his workers arrived to work in 6C (43F) temperatures.
He says the Río Hondo riverbank region along the border with Belize is the state’s main sugarcane-growing area where the 6C was recorded in the community of La Unión.
Gutiérrez Reyes said the sugarcane cutters are lighting fires to cope with the cold. He says he has requested assistance from Governor Mara Lezama and the Othón P. Blanco City Council to provide blankets for the 1,500 cutters and their families.
He explained that the current sugarcane crisis has left them without the resources to purchase the necessary protective gear for workers during the low temperatures.
During the 2025 growing season, local fields suffered from crop pests and fungus as well as a collapse in sugar prices due to overproduction and the rise in production costs.
With that, harvesting was delayed by more than two months. Cutters started harvesting during the recent cold front.
Cutters say the cold is most intense during the early hours of the day and that most do not have adequate clothing to deal with the low temperatures.
The only way to keep warm is by starting fires.
Gutiérrez Reyes explained that the cold weather not only affects people but also the pace of work. The sugarcane stalks are extremely stiff in the morning and cannot be cut right away.
This delay reduces daily production and makes it difficult to meet harvest goals.
