sugar industry Archives - Page 3 of 3

21 December, 2021

Did you know that Guatemala is the second largest sugar exporter in Latin America and the fifth worldwide?

According to data from the International Sugar Organization, Guatemala is the second largest sugar exporter in Latin America and the fifth worldwide. In addition, it is the third largest sugar producer in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Research and development, a fundamental pillar for the Guatemalan Sugar Industry, has contributed to improve efficiency and competitiveness each harvest. The development of varieties of sugarcane is one of the great contributions of the research center, and through the natural crossing of plants, 33 varieties of Guatemalan sugarcane have been developed that are more productive, resistant to pests and climate change.

The sugar produced in Guatemala is exported to all continents and according to data from the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat) in 2020, 59% of sugar exports were destined for countries on the American continent, followed by Asia with 19%, Africa with 13%, Europe with 5% and Oceania with 4%.

Expogranel, the door to the world of the Guatemalan Sugar

For export, the Sugar Industry has one of the best specialized terminals for the shipment of sugar. Expogranel, located in Puerto Quetzal (102 km South of Guatemala City), is the specialized terminal for handling and shipping bulk sugar in Guatemala, which has positioned itself as one of the most efficient terminals in the world.

It has the capacity to store 350,000 metric tons of sugar in bulk and 58,000 metric tons of sugar in bags, this added to its loading speed, compared to other countries gives Guatemala a competitive advantage.

What makes it more impressive is its current shipping rate of 2,000 metric tons of bulk sugar per hour. Before Expogranel existed, a 35 thousand metric ton ship was loaded in 30 days and today it is done in an average of 18 hours. And it has a sugar shipping capacity of more than 3,500 tons in bags per day.

4 December, 2021

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry adopts actions to optimize water

In the production of sugar, the Guatemalan Sugar Industry has implemented new technologies and processes, both in the cultivation of sugar cane and in industrial activities, to reduce its consumption of water.

Guatemala is a country with high vulnerability to the effects of Climate Change and agriculture is one of the sectors most affected by climatic variations. That is why the Sugar Industry has implemented more efficient irrigation systems, which use less water and apply only the amount of the vital liquid that the plant needs.

Likewise, the Guatemalan Sugar Industry has invested in systems for the reuse of water in the sugar mills. The water used in the manufacturing process is taken to a cooling system; since it comes out at high temperature, where after being cooled it returns to the factory, through a recirculation system, to be used again.

The Water Footprint of the Guatemalan Sugar Industry

According to a study carried out by the Private Institute for Climate Change Research -ICC- the water footprint of the Guatemalan sugar cane crop for the 2019-2020 zafra was estimated at 110.35 m3 of water per ton of sugar cane, where the Irrigation water represented 21% of the total water footprint. Rainwater represented 73% of the total water footprint.

Each ton of sugar cane produced in Guatemala uses 47% less water than the cane produced worldwide, whose results may be related especially to the high sugar cane yields per hectare that the Guatemalan Sugar Industry has achieved.

Of the crops that are most produced worldwide, sugar cane is the one with the smallest water footprint. In addition, the experts of the Guatemalan Sugarcane Research and Training Center -Cengicaña- have developed a mobile application to optimize the use of irrigation water in sugarcane called Cengiriegos, which allows only the water it needs to be applied to the plant.

3 December, 20213 December, 2021

The start of the Zafra season contributes to the reactivation of the economy

Guatemala Zafra season contributes to the reactivation of the economy

The start of the Zafra contributes to the reactivation of the economy. The activities of the Guatemalan Sugar Industry generates more than 54 thousand direct jobs and 270 thousand indirect ones.

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry is an economic engine for the country since it generates an economic footprint of more than US$ 1,188 million each year, which reaches 90% of the country’s municipalities and each year generates more than 54 thousand direct jobs and distribute more than US$ 402 million in wages and salaries.

In addition, the Sugar Industry hires more than 6,325 supplier companies (large, medium, and small) of products and services, who also become employers and multiply the opportunities for the population.

The 2021-2022 Zafra will take place in challenging conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the Guatemalan Sugar Industry continues with strict biosecurity measures both in the field and in the factory.

“The Zafra is the harvest season for sugarcane and sugar production, which takes place from November to May. Our commitment every year is to improve our processes to be more and more efficient and develop our operation in a responsible way with our neighbors”, commented Luis Miguel Paiz, General Manager of the Guatemalan Sugar Producers Association -Asazgua-.

Technology, the basis of efficiency

In the Guatemalan Sugar Industry, systems and processes have been implemented to optimize the use of water for the irrigation of sugarcane; likewise, the sugar mills have implemented systems for the reuse of water and thus reduce the use of this resource. It is important to note that the sugar cane obtains from the rain about 72% of the water it needs to grow.

Research and development is a fundamental pillar for the Guatemalan Sugar Industry, it has contributed to improve efficiency and competitiveness each harvest. The development of varieties of sugar cane is one of the great contributions of the research center, and through the natural crossing of plants, 33 varieties of Guatemalan sugar cane have been developed that are more productive, resistant to pests and climate change.

7 October, 2021

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry works hard on Soil conservation practices

Soil conservation are practices to stop or avoid erosion, conserve the soil, and improve its fertility and productivity and the Guatemalan Sugar Industry is committed to enforce such measures.

The Guatemalan Center for Research and Training of Sugarcane -Cengicaña- published in 1994 the first study of soils in the sugarcane zone and since 2012, it has been working on the subject with the Private Institute for Climate Change Research -ICC- for the development and implementation of practices for the conservation and sustainable use of soils.

Among the practices are:

Soil analysis: this is the basic tool to know the properties of the soil and the availability of nutrients and physical and chemical characteristics which are analyzed by sampling the areas, the region’s climate, sun radiation, thermal amplitude, topography, inclination, and risks of erosion among others.
Soil conservation structures and use of vegetation are implemented on the sides of the roads.
The protection of wetlands, forest areas and natural water courses is promoted.
Sowing the appropriate sugarcane that best adapts to each soil, based on its agronomic characteristics, resistance to pests and adaptation to climatic variations.
Sugarcane cultivation is renewed every 5 years to maintain its yield, therefore, in some suitable areas this renewal is used to nourish the soil through the Green Fertilizer program of the sugar industry.

Sustainable practices to maintain soil fertility

The application of nutrients is vital to maintain the fertility of the soils and derived from the analysis of the fields, the strategies for their use are determined, among which are:

Use of green fertilizer

The Green Fertilizer program of the Guatemalan Sugar Industry is an ecological measure of planting legume plants that provide the soil with nitrogen and thus avoid the use of commercial products. When legumes are mixed with the soil, they provide organic matter that improves the texture and structure of the soil and promotes the development of microorganisms that are beneficial for crops.

Use of organic fertilizers

Organic matter improves the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil, favoring a greater availability of nutrients for plants and improving the health of the soil in general.

In the Guatemalan Sugar Industry, significant amounts of organic waste are generated as by-products that have high agronomic value, including filter mud, ash, and vinasse.

- Filter mud is a residue from the manufacture of sugar and provides the soil with phosphorus, calcium, and nitrogen, among others. It is estimated that each harvest produces more than 750,000 tons of this residue that is used to nourish fields.
- Vinasse is a liquid residue from the distillation of alcohol and is mainly made up of water, organic matter and minerals that benefit the soil.
- The ash, mixed with filter cake, is beneficial for soils with acidic Ph.

Rainwater harvesting

Rainwater is captured in ditches and wells; this is an agronomic practice that contributes to the recharge of groundwater. This agronomic practice is responsible for the environment, contributes to the recharge of groundwater, to mitigate the erosion of the soil by precipitation and to avoid floods.

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry has 2,507 hectares of natural forests, which are protected and cared for. The reforestation and conservation of forests on the banks of rivers help to recharge water, to conserve soils by avoiding erosion and are also natural barriers that prevent floods and serve as home to species of flora and fauna.

Soil preparation

The soil is prepared for sowing: the objective of this practice is to prepare a good soil base for the optimal development of the plantation.

- In sandy soils there is minimal tillage to avoid impact on the natural conditions of the soil.
- In addition, there are minimum tillage or conservation practices to preserve the soil.

Strip cultivation

It is done during each crop renewal, they plant lines with green crops such as legumes alternating with lines of sugar cane, that is done in renewal batches.

The legume incorporates nitrogen and reduces soil erosion caused by water, wind and to make more efficient use of land.

Level curves

Information from drones or satellite images is used to determine the topography or relief of the area so that crops are planted at the same height above sea level.

Rainwater has an easier time seeping into the ground to prevent erosion.

30 June, 20215 August, 2021

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry contributed with 30% of the electrical energy consumed in the country during the 2020-21 Zafra

The cogeneration mills contributed with 30% of the energy consumed in the country during the 2020/21 harvest, reaching peaks in some days that reached up to 46%. This was announced by the Association of Independent Cogenerators of Guatemala -ACI-, in the presentation of the results of electricity generation.

Luis Ortiz, Executive Director of ACI, explained that during the 2020/21 Zafra, the cogeneration plants generated 1,844 (GWh) gigawatt-hours of renewable energy to deliver to the grid; the equivalent of 2 times the consumption of all the Municipal Electric Companies of Guatemala for 1 year or to all the energy consumed by the more than 1.1 million users during a year.

The maximum available power of the Cogeneration Plants to deliver to the grid during the Zafra was 562 (MW) megawatts, which is equivalent to 2 times the maximum capacity of the Chixoy hydroelectric dam, the plant with the highest electricity generation capacity in Guatemala. For this, more than 6.4 million tons of cane biomass, a product of the sugar production process, were used.

The electricity production of the Cogenerators is fundamental for the Guatemalan electricity system because it contributes to the diversification of the energy matrix and to the stability of the electricity tariff. The electricity produced by the Sugar Industry is renewable, cheap and complements during the dry season, which is when the capacity of the hydroelectric plants is reduced because there is less water availability.

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry has an installed generation capacity of 1020 MW, this makes them self-sufficient in the energy field since they generate their own energy and the surplus is sold to the National Interconnected System (SNI). 63% of the energy produced during the 2020/21 harvest was injected into the SNI to meet national demand and exports to Central America and Mexico; and the remaining 37% was used for the operation of the sugar mills.

With this generation of renewable energy, up to 4 million tons of CO2eq are prevented from reaching the environment each year, according to a study by the Guatemalan Sugar Carbon Footprint, carried out by the Private Institute for Climate Change Research of Guatemala -ICC-.

ACI was founded in 1997. It is made up of 8 cogeneration plants, which use one of the by-products of sugar production, the biomass of sugar cane, for the production of 100% renewable energy.

2 June, 20219 June, 2021

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry works on soil conservation

Since 2012, the Guatemalan Sugar Industry has worked hand in hand with the Guatemalan Center for Research and Training of Sugar Cane -Cengicaña- and the Private Institute for Climate Change Research -ICC- in the development and implementation of practices for soil conservation.

Soil conservation is based on those practices that make it possible to stop or avoid erosion, conserve the soil, and improve its fertility and productivity.

For example, the Guatemalan Sugar Industry in conjunction with the ICC have implemented ditches and wells that help rainwater infiltrate.

This agronomic practice, responsible with the environment, contributes to the recharge of groundwater, to mitigate the erosion of the soil by precipitation and to avoid floods.

Green fertilizer to nourish the soils

Another good practice for soil protection is the green fertilizer program developed by Cengicaña for the use of the sugar sector. This program is an ecological measure of planting legume plants that provide the soil with nitrogen and thus avoid the use of commercial products.

When legumes are mixed with the soil, they contribute organic matter that improves the texture and structure of the soil. In addition, it promotes the development of microorganisms that are beneficial for crops.