Cuba sees continued growth in sugar production (at Reuters)

Marc Frank HAVANA, July 9 (Reuters) - Cuba is investing in sugar cutting combines, trucks and other equipment and retooling mills in preparation for a big jump in output in 2008-2009, the official media said Wednesday. "The country is planning a 25 percent to 30 percent increase in sugar and molasses for the coming harvest and will meet refined sugar demand," the Juventud Rebelde newspaper quoted Orlando Garcia Ramirez, vice minister of sugar who testified before a parliament hearing on Tuesday. "It is investing in refineries, distilleries, electrical generation capacity, increasing storage space and introducing high productivity sugar cutting combines," the paper said. Cuba imported 22 Mann combines from Brazil for the just concluded harvest. The harvest runs from December through April when the rainy season begins, but this... [read full story]