South American agricultural exports totalled US$175 billion in 2014, more than triple that of Sugar is processed from the juice of sugarcane and sugar beet. Refined sugar is used in a wide range of food and drink. It is also used by the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, fermentation and nutrition industries. The juice can be turned into alcohol and bio-ethanol, a “green” fuel mostly blended into gasoline.
The left-over fibre from crushed sugarcane, bagasse, is used as a natural fuel source to power our sugarcane crushing plant. Any excess electricity is supplied to the local power grid. Beet pulp, the fibrous material left once sugar is extracted from beets, is used in animal feed.