Processing of sugarcane starts – lowest output since Okinawa’s reversion

Processing of sugarcane starts - lowest output since Okinawa's reversion

On January 11 at Shonan Seito Co., Ltd., in Tomishiro, sugarcane is brought to the mill to be produced.


January 12, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

With the harvest season of sugarcane having started, on January 11, four sugar factories in Okinawa have started to haul in sugarcane for processing. This last year, because of the low temperatures at the beginning of spring, insufficient sunshine hours, frequent damage from typhoons and little rain during the germination period, all areas of Okinawa are expected to produce a poor crop, and the annual output of sugarcane will decrease as a result. According to the Japan Centrifugal Sugar Industry Association, the annual output of sugar raw material is 583415 tons, a decline of 22.9 percent from the same period the previous year, and the annual output of sugar produced is 69550 tons, down 21.2 percent from the previous season, the lowest since Okinawa’s reversion to Japanese administration.

Shonan Seito Co., Ltd., based in Tomishiro, which handles sugarcane from areas south of Kitanakagusuku, held a ceremony to mark the raw materials coming to the factory. President Genyu Nakazato said, “Bad weather has negatively affected output, but I hope that we can make sugar with zero waste.” In the current season, it is expected that the output of sugar material will be 90000 tons, a decline of 23.6 percent from the previous year, and that sugar production will be 10782 tons, down 24.3 percent from the previous season.

In Miyakojima, the largest producer of sugarcane in the prefecture of Okinawa, each sugar mill also held a season starting ceremony and workers prayed that there be no accidents or disasters this season.

Okinawa Sugar Manufacturing Co., Ltd., in Shimoji, Miyakojima, expects that the annual output of sugar material will be 98000 tons, down 28.2 percent from the previous term, and sugar production will be 12054 tons, a decline of 26.6 percent from the previous season. Factory Manager Genyu Sunagawa stated, “This last year we have faced some very testing weather conditions, but thanks to farmers’ good work we have been able to achieve some levels of production. We are very grateful for this.”

Miyako Seito Co., Ltd., began to operate two mills at Gusukube and Irabu. It is expected that combined output of sugar material from both mills will be 13536 tons, a decline of 20.3 percent from the previous term, and that sugar production will be 16461 tons, down 16.2 percent on the previous season.

This season’s sugar manufacturing in Okinawa starts at Ishigakijima Sugar Manufacturing Co., Ltd., on January 7, with ten factories run by nine companies coming into operation in the period through until March or April. There was a great deal of rain since last November, so the sugar production output may be down even lower than has been announced.

For similar reasons, the annual output of sugarcane for brown sugar also is expected to be down.

(English translation by T&CT, Lima Tokumori and Mark Ealey)

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