Havana, Oct 16 (IANS) Thanks to a bumper harvest, Cuba's sugar production is expected to grow by 20 percent during 2012-2013, state-run sugar company Azcuba said.
This year's sugar harvest could be the best in nine years, said Azcuba president Orlando Celso Garcia, who added that more efforts are being made to improve the infrastructure of the sugar industry, which had long been a major contributor to the national economy before its decline in the past decade, reported Xinhua.
As part of the efforts to resuscitate the industry, officials are opening four new sugar mills in the central provinces, raising the number of active sugar mills in the country to 50.
"We are increasing the number of factories and in 2015 we expect to add two more sugar mills," said Garcia.
Also this year, 91 percent of the harvesting process will be mechanized using modern Brazilian-made machines and tractors.
The state-run company expects to boost agricultural output by expanding the acreage under irrigation, using techniques to improve the quality and freshness of the raw material, improving services to producers, and offering workers better pay.
To improve the quality of its sugar, Cuba needs to increase its annual investment in the sector from $3 million to $10 million, say industry experts.
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