The harvest started with improved performance of sugarcane

After the start of the 2013-2014 season, the results for the sugar industry are encouraging, since the research of genetically improved varieties, and environmentally friendly technology investment, contributed to the upturn in productivity of the sugar cane fields.

In the ‘ Valdez sugar mill ‘ (Milagro-Guayas), the previous harvest produced 93,89 tons per hectare, a record of performance, allowing the  processing 3.3 million sacks of sugar of 50 kilos.

The President of Consortium Nobis, Isabel Noboa, principal of Valdez, said during the initiation ritual, which took place a week ago, that it is expected that this year the factory produce 3.5 million sacks of sugar.

According to Raul Castillo, Manager of the Center of Research of the Ecuadorian sugar cane (Cincae, for its acronym in spanish), these results can already be generalized at national level, thanks to the highly productive varieties that were released in the market.

Since 2007, sugar mills had access to the ECU-01, a seed that is highly resistant to pests and with better performance than the traditional Ragnar, which grows in the beds of the coast, and in the last five years 11.200 hectares were cultivated by the ECU-01. This figure is approximately 16% of the cultivated area of sugarcane, which totals 72.000 hectares.

Grinding machines were already lit from June 3, and will remain active, without rest, until December 28 of the current year. Along with Valdez, the ingeniers of San Carlos, in Marcelino Mariduena, which will start  the harvest in July. and Ecudos, in La Troncal monopolize the market of sugar in the country.

Meanwhile, in the current harvest, Ecuador aims to produce 570.000 tons of sugarcane and the sugar industry expects a production record of 11.5 million sacks of sugar of 50 kilos, until next December, when the harvest ends.