• Submitted by: manso
• Business and Economy
• 05 / 05 / 2011

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This year’s sugar harvest slightly exceeded low expectations and showed modest productivity improvements, industry expert Juan Varela said in an article published by Communist Party daily Granma.

“The current harvest begins to send signals of change in the work style and organizational system,” Varela said, adding that the total exceeded the plan by 6 percent and productivity was 2 percent above expectations.

The article didn’t provide any specific figures.

The results are disappointing, however, considering drastic adjustments six years ago and concerted efforts to improve productivity. Because harvest totals have remained at record lows below 2 million metric tons, Cuba has not been able to take advantage of rising sugar prices.

Varela blamed mechanical breakdowns in sugar mills and lack of sugarcane for the failure to meet production plans at four mills. Three more sugar mills had disappointingly low levels of efficiency. Thirty-five sugar mills met or exceeded the plan.

Thanks to electricity generation via bagasse, sugar mills saved 13,000 tons of fuel oil, feeding 6.5 Gw/h more than expected into the grid.

The focus for the next harvest is on moving sugarcane cultivation closer to the mills, using irrigation more efficiently, and leasing state land to private farmers for sugarcane cultivation, Varela said


Source: www.cubastandard.com/2011/05/04/sugar-harvest-improving-modestly/