Sweet Stuff from Palm Beach County
Who leads the nation in the production of sugar? Palm Beach County does! A substantial portion of the sweet stuff is grown on 400,000 acres of cane fields in Florida. The soil in Florida is called “black gold” because of its fertility. The Florida Sugar Industry has a $3.27 billion hold and provides over 12,000 jobs. The Sugar Cane League represents sugarcane growers, processors and their employees in the United States. The Florida companies include Florida Crystals Corporation, U.S. Sugar Corporation and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida are leaders in the industry.
Sugarcane is a giant grass that thrives in South Florida’s sunlight, plentiful rainfall and rich soil. Each stalk is made up of more than 70 percent water, and the balance is sugar and fiber. It has a 12- to 15-month developing cycle and is planted each year between September and January. It is reaped between late September and April. Sugarcane is considered one of the most environmentally friendly crops because it requires minimal fertilizer and pesticides. The region’s rich, nutrient saturated soil provides most of what is needed to sustain a hearty crop. All sugarcane crops are regulated by the U.S. Sugar Industry.
The leftover sugarcane stalk is recycled and turned into biofuel that powers the sugar factory and refinery operations. Bagasse is the fibrous material left over after the sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract the juice which creates a clean-burning biofuel. The biofuel powers sugar manufacturing facilities. Every ton of the recycled bagasse can produce the same amount of energy as 50 gallons of fuel oil.
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