Havana : Cuba is experiencing one of its worst sugar harvests in recent memory. Despite repeated visits by political leaders and promises to turn things around, many sugar mills across the country are falling far short of their production goals. Equipment is breaking down, blackouts are frequent, and sugarcane supplies are low, reports Cibercuba.
In the town of Calimete, in the province of Matanzas, the Jesús Sablón Moreno sugar mill has been harvesting for over 100 days but still has not reached its goal of 16,700 tons. It is short by 5,000 tons, and officials say reaching the target will depend on favorable weather. Local newspapers report that daily operations are a constant struggle due to equipment problems, lack of spare parts, and power outages. Although the workers are making a strong effort, the aging machinery and lack of support are making the job nearly impossible.
The situation is even worse in Santiago de Cuba, where the Dos Ríos mill—the only one working in the province—has only produced 13% of its target after 73 days. That’s about 3,000 tons out of a goal of 20,811. Leaders in the area admit the harvest is in crisis, but they continue to urge workers to keep trying to increase sugar production.
Las Tunas is facing similar difficulties. The Antonio Guiteras mill, the largest in Cuba, had only reached 11% of its target by the middle of April. During a visit, Deputy Prime Minister Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca called on workers to make an extra effort to reverse the situation. Even the top Communist Party official in the province, Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, said publicly that sugar production this year will be among the lowest in the country’s history.
Amid these problems, the official newspaper in Sancti Spíritus reported that the province had met its sugar production goal. The Melanio Hernández mill in Taguasco was praised for exceeding performance standards, using sugarcane efficiently, producing good-quality sugar, and providing more than 4,000 megawatt-hours of electricity to the national power grid. However, the report did not mention the exact amount of sugar produced. Earlier reports had set the goal at more than 19,000 tons to be completed before March 11. Much of the sugarcane used at the mill reportedly came from neighboring provinces, which raises questions about the local achievement.
Earlier this year, the sugar harvest was already in trouble. Of the 14 sugar mills that were supposed to operate, only six were up and running. The delay in starting the harvest and the failure to get the other mills working accounted for most of the shortfall. There were also problems getting mills ready in time, with a lack of supplies and power issues delaying essential repairs and maintenance.
The previous sugar season in 2022–2023 produced only 350,000 tons of sugar—the worst harvest since 1898, during the War of Independence. This is a major setback for a country that once led Latin America in sugar exports.
In December 2023, the government admitted that it was embarrassing for a country like Cuba, once famous for its sugar production, to now rely on sugar imports.
Instead of a normal harvest, Cuba in 2025 appears to be witnessing the steady collapse of its sugar industry. Each mill that is still operating does so against great odds. What was once a proud symbol of Cuba’s economy has now become another sign of the country’s deep economic struggles.
