Mexican sugar production for the 2018-19 crop year has begun, with the country producing 3,417 mt of sugar through November 10, according to data from the Mexican Agricultural Secretariat, SAGARPA.
The amount represents an increase of 1,895 mt from 2017-18 levels, but is below initial estimates of 24,699 mt of sugar to be produced by November 10, the data showed.
Total cane crushed rose year on year to 51,063 mt, over double the 24,961 mt crushed through this point during the 2017-18 harvest, but falling far short of initial estimates of 298,459 mt.
Sugarcane was harvested from 619 hectares, representing a faster pace than the 2017-18 levels, when 233 hectares were harvested, and below projections of 4,695 hectares. Total cane yields have fallen to 82.49 mt/hectare, down from 107.24 mt/hectare seen a year earlier but higher than the 63.57 mt/hectare of cane projected earlier in the year.
Sugar yields were higher on the year, reaching 6.69%, up from 6.1% seen at he same point in CY 2017-18, but below initial estimates of 8.28%. Approximately 5.52 mt/hectare of sugar have been produced thus far during the season, down from 6.54 mt/hectare seen during the previous season, but beating initial estimates of 5.26 mt/hectare, the data showed.
The Mexican crop year runs October-September.
