One beloved drink could be in short supply this summer as Cuba grapples with a low sugar harvest. As the Caribbean country prepares for harvest time, Reuters analysis suggests that Cuba’s state-run sugar company, Azcuba, is likely to produce a fraction of its yield of previous years.
Compared to the heyday harvests of around 8 million metric tonnes in the 1980s, the latest analysis predicts a harvest of just 165,000 this year. If confirmed, it would be the lowest on record since 1989. This is bad news for rum drinkers, because sugar is essential for the country’s specialty liquor, meaning many drinks like the beloved mojito could be missing from menus this year.
Michael Bustamante, chair of Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami, described the situation as “dismal”, while the Minister of Economy and Planning, Joaquín Alonso, said in late April the current sugar harvest “remains unfavourable.”
Sugar and rum have long been at the centre of Cuba’s export economy, so this potential lack of production could further plunge the country into an economic crisis.
Bustamante noted that while sugar numbers had slowly decreased, it was particularly prevalent over the last five years, saying: “I think it’s just as clear a signal as you can get over the dire straits of the economy overall.”
In 1970, the Castro brothers mobilised 500,000 people to create a huge sugar harvest, and until the late 1980s, Cuba produced around 8million tonnes a year. Now however, only 14 mills are in operation, down from 133 at the height of production.
Rum production in Cuba began in the 17th century when molasses, a byproduct of sugar refining, was added to aguardiente liquor.
The 19th century saw the development of improved distillation techniques, including the use of column stills, which allowed for the production of lighter, more refined rums.
Now, sugar is used in major rum brands such Havana Club, Ron Santiago, Eminente and Black Tears.
