Cost Of Sugar Production Research Articles

Improving the competitiveness of integrated formation of sugar beet complex

The article considers ways of improving the competitiveness of integrated formations of the sugar beet complex and some of results of our researches in this area are given. The main objective of the investigation is to work out methodological aspects and practical tasks for integrated development of the sugar beet sub-complex in the region. Factors, forming the competitiveness of sugar on the whole extent from production of sugar beet to its selling, are analyzed. On the basis of these factors analysis a model is proposed for providing mutually beneficial relations between the participants of an integrated sugar beet formation and stimulating their interest in collaborative work taking into account organization of an optimal raw product zone of a sugar plant. It is proved that the key tasks to improve the competitiveness of an integrated sugar beet formation are: 1) cutting of sugar production costs through efficient utilization of energy resources 2) concentration of the marketing policy on search for new trade channels and diversification of production usage directions. Results of investigations may be used as instructor’s manuals and introduced into practice of integrated sugar beet formations.

The Mexican Sugarcane Industry: Overview, Constraints, Current Status and Long-Term Trends

Sugarcane (Saccharum species hybrid) as a source and epicenter of the renewable energy, bio-fuels and bio-materials, as well as a food crop, is becoming more widely recognized as a source of rural livelihoods. Sugarcane production in Mexico has more than 490 years of history; however, Mexican sugar industry is recognized as uncompetitive in nature, mainly due to stagnating low sugarcane and sucrose yield and highly fiber in stalks per hectare and variability in the production process. Average yields of sugarcane (TCH) range from 60 to 70 metric tons/ha and sucrose yields (TSH) 8,000 kg/ha last decade. The sugarcane agriculture yield decline has been defined as “the loss of productive capacity of sugarcane growing soils under long term monoculture” and takes place in a highly distinctive landscape on both the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts and in high mountain river valleys in central Mexico. The sugar mills are characterized by a dichotomy because vary greatly in size, age and technology with a preponderance of medium and small mills, old, obsolete and inefficient technologies, which increases the cost of sugar production in Mexico compared to countries with advanced technology and supporting system. Therefore, Mexico is considered as a medium-to-low cost producer of sugar. These factors have adversely affected sugarcane growers and sugar industry, and constantly eroding their sustainability and profitability. The sugar has assumed the status of “political goods” like petroleum. The Mexican sugar industry is facing numerous challenges, like high crushing capacities and environmental impact, high demand from domestic market but low sugarcane productivity and capacity to supply sugar cane from fields. The diversification without strategies of sugarcane growers and sugar factories for improving profitability and competitiveness for creating the grounds for a green and sustainable biorefinery industry and to develop a modern agro-industry to fill a national need in food and biofuels also needs immediate attention. In this review, performance, present and future relevant aspects of the sugar industry are presented and discussed.

Combined production of sugar, ethanol and electricity: Thermoeconomic and environmental analysis and optimization

Many works have shown the potential of the Brazilian sugarcane industry as an electricity supplier. However, few studies have studied how this potential could be achieved without jeopardizing the production of sugar and ethanol. Also, the impact of modifications in the cogeneration plant on the costs of production of sugar and ethanol has not been evaluated. This paper presents an approach to the problem of exergy optimization of cogeneration systems in sugarcane mills. A general model to the sugar and ethanol production processes is developed based on data supplied by a real plant, and an exergy analysis is performed. A discussion is made about the variables that most affect the performance of the processes. Then, a procedure is presented to evaluate modifications in the cogeneration system and in the process, and their impact on the production costs of sugar, ethanol and electricity. Furthermore, a discussion on the renewability of processes is made based on an exergy index of renewability. As a general conclusion, besides adding a new revenue to the mill, the generation of excess electricity improves the exergo-environmental performance of the mill as a whole.

Status of sugar industry in Mauritius: Constraints and future research strategies

Sugarcane is presently cultivated on 72 000 hectares, representing 85 percent of the arable land in Mauritius. On average, 600 000 tonnes sugar is produced annually with most (530 000 tonnes) of the sugar being exported to the European Union. Domestic consumption of sugar is about 40 000 tonnes per year. The success of the sugar industry in Mauritius has to a significant extent been due to the preferential trade agreements that the country benefited successively from the United Kingdom and from the European Union. The stable revenues from sugar exports have served to develop not only the local sugar industry but have also fostered the diversification of the Mauritian economy, with rapid growth during the 1980s and 1990s of tourism, financial services and manufacturing industries geared towards export. The share of sugar production in the Mauritian economy has consequently over the years and in relative terms dwindled to about 3.5 percent of the gross domestic product in 2003 (from 25 percent in the 1970s). Sugar production nevertheless remains an important contributor to the country’s economy with sugar exports still representing about 19 percent of foreign exchange earnings. In the face of the new economic order which is taking shape and stronger competition on the traditional markets to which Mauritius exports its sugar, a lowering of prices now obtained for Mauritian sugar is inevitable in the short to medium term. To survive, the Mauritian sugar industry must strive to be more competitive. At present, the cost of cane sugar production in Mauritius is among the highest due to a low milling capacity (3700 tonnes cane crushed per day by the 11 existing mills), a short milling season (an average of only 132 days per year), a high ratio of labour to total production costs with field labour making up 80% of the total labour costs. The rockiness in some 40 000 hectares of sugar cane lands hindering the adoption of mechanized cultural practices is also a constraint to sugar production in Mauritius. In addition, though Mauritius is a well-watered island with an average annual rainfall of 2500 mm per year the uneven distribution of that rainfall coupled with high rates of evaporation (1870 mm annually in the northern and western coastal areas) give rise to a moisture deficit of moderate to severe degree and sustained production is not possible without irrigation in the coastal regions. To enable the sugar cane industry of Mauritius to survive, research strategies must be aimed at both decreasing production costs of sugar while at the same time increasing productivity per unit of resources. Those research strategies encompass all the scientific disciplines of agronomy, namely irrigation, nitrogen nutrition, cultural operations and also includes research and development on mechanisation of cultural practices, breeding of high yielding varieties with high sucrose and fibre content with good ratooning potential for sustainable production levels.

Título en español.

Durante los años de 1970 al 1974 se realizaron cinco pruebas regionales con nuevas variedades de caña de azúcar para determinar su aptitud en diferentes zonas ecológicas en la región sur de Puerto Rico. Un total de 60 variedades, entre las cuales se incluyeron siete que eran las variedades comerciales que se sembraban en la zona, se evaluaron en los distintos sitios: Finca Rufina en Guayanilla, Fincas Unión y Cintrona Segunda en Ponce, y Fincas Centro y Florida en la zona Santa Isabel-Salinas. El experimento en la Finca Rufina se sembró en un suelo de la serie San Antón, usándose un diseño reticulado compensado, e incluyendo 25 variedades; los experimentos en las Fincas Unión y Cintrona Segunda, en suelos de la serie San Antón, respectivamente. En ambos experimentos se incluyeron 25 variedades. En ambos se usaron los diseños reticulados compensados, con seis repeticiones y cinco tratamientos por bloque. El experimento de la Colonia Centro se sembró en un suelo de la serie Santa Isabel, usándose un diseño reticulado rectangular, con seis repeticiones y cinco tratamientos por bloque. En este experimento se incluyeron 30 variedades. En la Colonia Florida, en un suelo de la serie San Antón, se sembró otro experimento incluyendo 25 variedades, usándose un diseño reticulado compensado, con seis repeticiones y cinco tratamientos por bloque. Se recopilaron datos experimentales sobre el rendimiento, tonelajes de caña y de azúcar por acre en una cosecha de "grancultura" y en dos retoños. También se observaron otras características agronómicas, tales como macollamiento, retoñamiento, hábito de crecimiento y contenido de fibra. En la zona de Guayanilla, las variedades PR 63-488, CP 52-43, PR 63-525, aunque no sobrepasaron significativamente la producción de las variedades comerciales, poseen ciertas características agronómicas que facilitan el corte mecanizado reduciendo así los costos de producción. En la zona de Ponce las variedades superiores fueron PR 61-632, PR 63-525 y PR 64-1791 . Esta última, aunque de calidad de jugos inferior a la de las variedades testigo, produce buen tonelaje de caña, es deporte erguido y tolera condiciones de sequía. En la zona de Santa Isabel a Salinas sobresalieron las variedades PR 61-632, PR 1152, PR 63-525, PR 64-1791 y PR 1124. Aunque algunas otras variedades son tan buenas productoras de azúcar por acre como las variedades mencionadas, éstas se adaptan más a las demandas de una industria totalmente mecanizada.