The sugarcane business is a significant agricultural industry worldwide, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. It involves the cultivation, harvesting, processing, and marketing of sugarcane, a plant used primarily to produce sugar.
Cultivation:
Planting: Sugarcane is propagated from setts, which are sections of mature sugarcane stalks. They are planted in well-prepared fields.
Irrigation: Sugarcane requires ample water, so irrigation systems are essential in areas with limited rainfall.
Pest and Disease Control: Sugarcane is susceptible to various pests and diseases, so farmers must implement effective control measures.
Harvesting:
Mechanical Harvesting: Most modern sugarcane plantations use mechanical harvesters, which cut the stalks and load them onto trucks.
Manual Harvesting: In some regions, harvesting is still done manually using machetes.
Processing:
Extraction: The sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract the juice.
Clarification: The juice is clarified to remove impurities.
Evaporation: The clarified juice is concentrated through evaporation to form syrup.
Crystallization: The syrup is further concentrated to form sugar crystals.
Centrifugation: The crystals are separated from the remaining molasses through centrifugation.
Marketing:
Refining: The raw sugar produced in the mills is often refined to produce refined white sugar.
Distribution: The sugar is then distributed to various markets, including food manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers.
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