Producers of Cuban rum are facing difficulties due to forecasts indicating that local sugar production will remain extremely low this season. This is due to a serious economic crisis that has significantly limited the supply of fertilizers, fuel, and other resources necessary for sugarcane cultivation, according to the Reuters news agency.
Among the 25 state sugar mills, the first one is soon to resume operations. According to published plans, in seven of the thirteen sugar provinces, production is expected to remain at the same level, amounting to 350,000 metric tons of raw sugar, significantly less than the 1.3 million tons in the 2019 season.
In 1989, Cuba harvested 8 million tons of raw sugar; however, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, an important partner, a steady decline in production began. Cuba's Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa emphasized the need to stop the decrease in sugarcane production after the conclusion of the last harvest in June. He noted that Cuba is not only losing sugar but also all products made from it, including rum.