The productivity of the Colombian sugarcane agribusiness decreased as a consequence of the effects of the El Niño phenomenon and low harvest ages.
In the first four months of the year, productivity in agribusiness decreased as a consequence of stress due to water deficit and the harvest of templates and socas at ages under thirteen months.
According to data from the sector, 40% of the harvested area had a harvest age of less than 12 months and 15% was around 11.5 months.
If this trend with respect to age continues, the projections calculated for 2016 will hardly be achieved, despite the fact that a La Niña phenomenon is forecast during which the sector's productivity tends to increase due to the initial availability of water as a result of the rains.
On the other hand, the reduction in yield is probably associated with the fact that the average temperature between February and April did not fall enough in the early morning and therefore the respiration rate of the plants was higher than normal, consuming higher amounts of sucrose .
To consult
On the Cenicaña website: Productivity projection for the sugarcane agroindustry of the Cauca river valley.
