12.12.17 - USDA Sugar cane production forecast

Louisiana sugarcane crop recovering from adverse weather.

Production of sugarcane for sugar and seed in 2017 is forecast at 32.1 million tons, up slightly from last year. Producers intend to harvest 893,400 acres for sugar and seed during the 2017 crop year, down 1 percent from last year. Yield for sugar and seed is forecast at 36.0 tons per acre, up 0.4 ton from 2016.

Louisiana weather conditions were reported as excellent and sugar recoveries were high. Reported yields continued to be above average.  Harvest should continue into January and no freezes have occurred to date.