Latest news with #sugarcane
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Brazil Revs Up Biofuels Just as Sugar Cane Mills Shift From Ethanol
One of Brazil's biggest steps to boost biofuels is poised to leave behind much of the industry that has dominated supplies for the past several decades. As the country's regulators on Wednesday finally gave the green light to a long-awaited increase in the blend of ethanol in gasoline, it will be corn mills that stand to gain the most, not the established sugar cane processors.
New York Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Under Pressure, Officials in Western India Move Against Abuse in Sugar Fields
Authorities in western India are taking steps to improve labor conditions for sugar cane cutters after a court ruling and an investigation by The New York Times and The Fuller Project highlighted serious abuses of workers. Journalists revealed last year that women in the Indian state of Maharashtra were pushed to get unnecessary hysterectomies as a way to keep them working in sweltering sugar fields, unencumbered by menstruation or gynecological ailments. The sugar cane-cutting system also has used child labor, pushes young girls into marriage and locks families into debt bondage. The sugar industry is overwhelmingly controlled by the state's political leadership. And major Western brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsico have profited from the system. Government officials, regulators and companies have for years done little or nothing to address these abuses. Politicians say that changing the labor system would cut into sugar profits and make it impossible for factories to compete. The Bombay High Court ruled in March that government must address these problems. And though the court has no direct enforcement power in this case, labor-rights groups say the ruling is important because it is the first official acknowledgment that the system in Maharashtra must change. The court ruled that migrant workers and the middleman contractors who hire them must be registered as a standard employee-employer relationship. That would close a loophole that has allowed sugar companies to deny any responsibility for the workers who cut their cane. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt pushes to modernise sugarcane irrigation to boost yields
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has met with ministers to review the development of irrigation systems for sugarcane, aiming to increase the strategic crop's yield while reducing water consumption. In a meeting with the relevant ministries and government agencies, Madbouly emphasised the government's focus on monitoring agriculture and irrigation projects. He said irrigation plays a pivotal role in managing water resources and adapting to environmental changes, which in turn ensures the availability of agricultural products and contributes to food security. 'Sugarcane is a strategic crop that must be cultivated using modern methods that increase its production, thereby helping to meet the needs of the local market,' Madbouly stated. Alaa El-Din Farouk, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, outlined the benefits of shifting to modern irrigation techniques for sugarcane. He said these methods could reduce water consumption by up to 30%, lower the use of agricultural inputs like fertilisers, decrease the spread of weeds and control costs, and ultimately enhance productivity. Farouk detailed specific modern irrigation techniques, including drip irrigation and developed field irrigation combined with water-saving agricultural practices such as laser levelling and planting on raised beds. He presented the requirements, costs, benefits, and implementation challenges associated with each method, along with potential solutions. The agriculture minister noted that there is significant potential for expanding the use of water-saving agricultural practices. He added that several of these methods are already popular among farmers and are characterised by their low cost and speed of implementation. The meeting was attended by Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation; Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade; Alaa El-Din Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; Mostafa El-Sayyad, Deputy Minister of Agriculture; Colonel Bahaa El-Ghannam, Executive Director of the Egypt's Future for Sustainable Development Authority; and other officials from the relevant ministries and agencies. © 2024 Daily News Egypt. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
ABC News
17-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Rain in north set to clear as cool weather continues across Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology says unseasonal rainfall in Far North Queensland is set to ease as temperatures in the south remain below average. Burketown in the Gulf of Carpentaria received about 60 millimetres of rain amid widespread falls in the north and up to 30mm fell on parts of the Atherton Tablelands on Monday night. BOM spokesperson Daniel Hayes said a trough brought about 10mm of rain to coastal areas between Townsville and Mackay on Tuesday. "Generally speaking we've probably seen the heaviest of the rain out of this cloudband and series of troughs," he said. "The amounts that we've seen, while they're relatively high for this time of the year, are nothing particularly unusual for the area in general. "Handy rainfall, but probably not all that welcome in those areas where the [sugar] crush has started." The sugar cane harvest is underway in the north but the wet weather has brought activity to a halt for some in the Ingham area. Canegrower Matt Pappin said the rain was welcome at his property. "Being a farmer, you don't want too much, you just want the right amount," he said. "So … an inch of rain – 25mm or something like that – won't go astray," he said. Mr Pappin planned to irrigate at his property but that was no longer necessary. "This moisture now will give it a boost," he said. "It will draw some water up the stem and it will go into, maybe, a growth mode again." But Mr Pappin said for other growers the rain was inconvenient, especially after a very wet start to the year. "I know blokes in other parts of the district that are just getting onto their paddocks and discing them for the first time because it is wet," he said. Mr Hayes said the BOM expected temperatures throughout the state to remain a little below average. Temperatures in the mid to low 20s are expected in Brisbane over the next seven days. Mr Hayes said temperatures increased slightly due to cloud cover but as that cleared cooler air would be pushed up into southern and central parts of the state by systems moving through the southern part of the country. "We'll see a return to fairly widespread frosty conditions across the southern and even into central inland parts of the state through Wednesday, Thursday, Friday morning," he said.
Zawya
17-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa Canegrowers warns of job losses due to subsidised sugar imports
SA Canegrowers has warned that the local sugar industry faces mounting threats from cheap sugar imports, placing thousands of jobs at risk and undermining rural livelihoods. The organisation raised the alarm this week following its Annual General Meeting in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, where Mpumalanga farmer Higgins Mdluli was re-elected as chairperson for a one-year term. Industry under pressure Mdluli, who farms sugarcane in Mpumalanga, said he was honoured to continue leading the organisation at a pivotal time for the sector. 'It is an honour to be re-elected to serve as chair of the SA Canegrowers board at such a critical time for our industry. I look forward to continue working closely with our growers, partners, and stakeholders to build a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient sugar sector that supports rural livelihoods and drives agricultural and economic growth in South Africa,' said Mdluli. However, he cautioned that the industry is increasingly vulnerable due to unfair global trade practices and other pressures such as mill closures, unpredictable weather, and the sugar tax. Unfair competition from imports SA Canegrowers has flagged growing concerns about imported sugar entering South Africa at prices below both the global market rate and local production costs. Mdluli attributed this to sugar dumping and state subsidies from other countries. 'Foreign sugar is currently entering South Africa at prices below the cost of production and below the global sugar price, owing to some foreign governments either heavily subsidising their industries or countries dumping their excess sugar at a loss,' he said. For every tonne of imported sugar, local growers lose an estimated R6,000 in income, with job losses across the value chain inevitable if the trend continues. Call for sector support Rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, which rely heavily on sugarcane farming for employment, remain particularly at risk. 'Local canegrowers need greater protection from unfair sugar dumping and subsidised cheap imports,' says Mdluli. 'We call on all social partners, government, industry players, and commercial end-users and consumers, to stand with South African sugarcane growers. Our growers contribute to a thriving, inclusive agricultural economy, but to continue to do so, we need to be able to compete on a level playing field.' The organisation reaffirmed its support for the upcoming revision of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan 2030, aimed at ensuring long-term stability for the sector. Mdluli will be supported by vice-chairpersons Andrew Russell and Kurt Stock, with Rex Talmage appointed independent vice-chair of the South African Sugar Association. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
