In the Canefield

Sugar is a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in fruit and vegetables. It is created through photosynthesis, the process by which plants transform the sun’s energy into food.

High levels of sucrose is found in the stalk of the sugar cane.

Sugar cane grows best in tropical countries where it thrives on a combination of bright sunlight, heat, heavy rainfall and fertile soil.

New cane is grown from pieces of cane stalk, called setts, these are laid lengthwise in furrows which have been cut in the field. As the young cane grows, the land around it is cultivated to control weeds and let air and water into the soil.

In moist, warm conditions, the cane grows quickly. It is usually ready to harvest in 10 to 18 months. Mature cane stands 2 to 4 metres high and is usually harvested between June and December in the Southern Hemisphere, when its sugar content is at its highest.

When the first cane is harvested, the stumps are left in the ground. New canes grow from the stumps. Two or three more crops can be produced this way, these are called ratoon crops.

The ground is either rested or planted with another crop to fertilise the soil. When the farmer wants to start another sugar cane crop he has to plant sections of cane (setts) again.

The process of making white sugar from the sugar cane is accomplished in 2 steps: