Sugar Cane Harvest
The harvesting of sugar cane is an important part of the sugar making process 
for a variety of reasons. Though it may appear as if harvesting sugar cane is simply a matter of ripping or cutting the cane out of the soil, harvesting sugar cane is actually a job for skilled workers who know how to harvest the cane in order to maximize sugar yield, and without damaging the roots or the soil around the cane, both of which are essential for the next sugar cane crop.
Improperly harvested sugar cane can lead to problems later on in sugar processing, not to mention loss of income for the plantation owner or sugar mill, if they are one and the same entity. Practices for harvesting sugar cane vary throughout various locations in the sugar producing world. This article will explore common harvesting practices in two of the world’s top sugar producing nations, Brazil and India, and also look at the advantages and disadvantages of the modern mechanical approach to sugar cane harvesting.
Harvesting Sugar Cane In Brazil
Sugar cane in Brazil is normally harvested by hand by seasonal workers. It is sometimes burned before harvesting in order to remove the large leaves which slow harvesting down and can present a danger to harvesters due to snakes hiding in the leaves, and leaves blocking the view of harvesters leading to accidents with between harvesters and machinery, and harvesters and other harvesters who may unintentionally end up slashing one another rather than the sugar cane.
Sugar cane harvesting season varies greatly from location to location even within Brazil. In Brazil’s Sao Paulo region, the harvesting season runs from May to November, whilst in the northern regions of Algolas and Pernambuco, the sugar cane harvesting season runs from September to May.
Sugar cane harvesting is a more demanding prospect in the northern regions of Brazil, as the terrain is much more rocky and hilly there. This northern region of Brazil has a certain historical significance for the Brazilian sugar industry because it was the location for the first Brazilian sugar mills and plantations planted in 1516. Originally the sugar cane plantations were harvested by slaves from equatorial Africa, and for a long time, Brazilian sugar plantations were associated with slavery.
Modern day Brazilian sugar plantations use seasonal workers, as slavery has been outlawed in Brazil since 1888. Modern day workers tend to be fairly well paid and also looked after, at least during the harvesting season. They often receive food during working hours, hearty meals to keep them going through a long hard day’s harvesting, and sometimes they are even eligible for accommodation as well.
Of course, some mills make use of mechanical harvesters alongside or instead of manual laborers. Doing so brings with it both advantages and disadvantages. A comparison of mechanical harvesting versus manual harvesting can be found later on in this article.
Harvesting Sugar Cane In India
Manual harvesting is also quite common on Indian sugar cane plantations. India’s sugar industry is quite different from Brazil’s, which means that Indian sugar mills and plantations face some unique challenges. India’s sugar plantations are scattered about the country, some plantations are owned by mills and cover large swathes of land, whereas others may be small, irregularly shaped fields tended by a farmer and his family. Sugar cane plantations are mainly located throughout nine different Indian states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttaranchal. The sugar cane harvesting season usually falls between August and January, but this can vary from region to region, as India is a very large country with two climatic zones, one tropical and one sub tropical, and sugar cane grows differently in each of these zones.
There is an absence of adequately skilled manual labor which is causing problems for Indian sugar mills. India’s sugar industry has boomed in the past few years, and it is becoming difficult for plantations to find enough skilled workers to do the important job of harvesting the cane. Because sugar cane harvesting is hard manual labor, and not very well paid, it is difficult for many plantations to find workers who can harvest the cane properly. Unwilling or unskilled workers often cut corners, costing the plantation owner or the mill money lost when good sucrose is left in the ground.
Mechanical Harvesting VS Manual Harvesting
In India especially, mechanical harvesters are being used instead of manual labor. This is partially because of the shortage of skilled labor, but also due to the expansion of sugar plantations.
Advantages Of Mechanical Harvesting
Mechanical harvesters can be more efficient than human harvesters assuming that the sugar cane has been properly cultivated, and the fields are relatively flat. Some mechanical harvesters automatically bale the sugar cane, saving a great deal of time and effort for plantation workers. Mechanical harvesters rarely get sick or fail to come into work, and can be relied upon to work consistently throughout the day, as long as they are well maintained and do not suffer mechanical failure.
Disadvantages of Mechanical Harvesting
However, in order to use mechanical harvesters, rows of sugar cane must be planted at least 1.5 meters apart in order to give the machine enough room to move. This can lead to overall yield loss as many sugar cane plantations prefer to plant rows of sugar cane much closer together at around 75 centimeters in order to maximize the yield from the field. Mechanical harvesters also do not do well in smaller fields, as are often found in India.
Mechanical harvesters are unable to clean the cane as well as human harvesters, who are capable of ensuring that all leaves and excess green matter is removed from the cane before it is sent to the mill for processing.
Mechanical harvesters are expensive to purchase, and also expensive to run. As fuel prices increase, some mills may be finding that it is actually cheaper to feed several human harvesters than it is to power a machine.
Mechanical harvesters are also large, heavy pieces of equipment which can cause the soil to become compacted. Sugar cane needs relatively light soil in order to grow well, so this is a rather serious issue.
Mechanical harvesters also damage the roots of sugar cane far more severely and far more often than manual harvesters. Sugar cane roots are important, as they will sprout and grow again, sometimes up to twelve times, though this is an exceptional number and usually only associated with special strains of Brazilian sugar cane. The typical number of regrowths is between three and six. Destroying roots during the first harvest therefore represents a significant yield loss from a single planting.
Sugar cane harvesting continues to evolve over time. As the sugar cane industry grows it is becoming more important to optimize every stage of production, including harvest. In response to industry pressures, some mechanical harvesters are being engineered to be lighter, and fitted with special tires which reduce soil compaction.
In many countries however, Brazil especially, there are a significant number of workers who depend on the sugar harvesting seasons to make a living. The same workers often return year after year, and having a reliable and experienced team of harvesters can significantly impact the quality of a harvest and the resulting sugar yield.
Fuel prices are also highly likely to retard the use of mechanical harvesters, as fossil fuel prices continue their upward climb. This is good news for the people who have come to depend upon the sugar plantations of Brazil, India, and other major sugar cane growing nations such as China and Thailand to support themselves and their families.
 Cane Sugar Exporters
We export Cane Sugar directly from Brazilian mills. Please contact us with your detailed requirements and we will get back to you within a few hours