Cuban central province in final phase for beginning of sugarcane harvest

SANCTI SPIRITUS, Cuba, Dec 20 (ACN) The preparations for the start of the 2021-2022 sugar harvest in the province of Sancti Spiritus are in the final stage, executives of the sugarcane sector in that central province told the Cuban News Agency.

Some months ago, the AZCUBA Sugar Group changed its structure, so that the Sugar Company disappeared in the territory and its two sugar plants were transformed from Basic Business Units (UEB) into companies.

The upcoming campaign will start with the new Melanio Hernandez Agroindustrial Sugar Company, located in the municipality of Taguasco, whose general director, Antonio Viamontes Perdomo, assured that the campaign will be carried out under very difficult conditions.

The director pointed out that the tightening of the economic, financial and commercial blockade of the U.S. government against Cuba, along with the world pandemic of COVID-19, contributed against the repairs of the industry, transportation and machinery.

In spite of this situation, Viamontes Perdomo added, the necessary maintenance was completed for the start-up of the harvest this month; and in correspondence with this, we have recovered a tank from a technological change that will help to improve industrial efficiency.

Recently, the so-called harvest practice was conducted and then the test, in which the plant was put into operation and the results were encouraging, he continued.

For his part, Aselio Sanchez Cadalzo, AZCUBA's Director of Coordination and Technical Supervision in the province, informed that this harvest in the territory will be done in a staggered manner, which will allow taking better advantage of the resources of both companies, especially machinery and transportation.

The main challenge is to achieve industrial efficiency in spite of the poor conditions of the raw material, since the lack of chemical products (herbicides and fertilizers) has conspired against its good development and agricultural yield.