According to Bloomberg article published on December 24, 2022, Louisiana’s sugarcane fields have been hit by the cold blast covering a large swath of the country, and the exposure might erode the yield outlook for next year’s harvest, according to World Weather Inc.
The state and Florida are the top US producers of sweetener made from cane. Temperatures reached the upper teens and low 20s Fahrenheit Friday morning and are expected to drop to similar levels throughout the weekend, which could imperil the plants. Depending on what type of weather they receive in the spring, older plant yields could be impacted in the 2023-24 harvest, Drew Lerner, president of the weather service, said by phone.
Louisiana’s cane harvest typically starts in late September and ends by early January. Progress has been delayed recently by rains, and any cane left and not harvested right away may be damaged or spoiled. Calls seeking comment from the state’s Sugar Growers and Refiners Inc. weren’t answered immediately.
The US has been dealing with two seasons of adverse weather that hindered mostly the sugarbeet harvest, the source of more than half of total sugar production. Total output, including both varieties, is expected to drop a second straight year, and that’s helping keep refined sugar prices elevated.
Parts of Florida’s citrus groves may see frost Saturday, but those conditions are not expected to last long or be severe enough to cause major damage, Lerner said. The Sunshine State’s cane is not seen in danger either.
