Abstract

PEREZ, Daniela; PAREDES, Virginia; RODRIGUEZ, Graciela  and  SCANDALIARIS, Jorge. Economic and production indicators of the sugar industry in Tucumán, Argentina, 1994-2017. Rev. ind. agric. Tucumán [online]. 2019, vol.96, n.2, pp.47-54. ISSN 1851-3018.

The sugar agro-industry is one of the main industrial activities in Tucumán. In 1992 the industry was deregulated. This study analyses the changes in the sugar sector in Tucumán from 1994 to 2017, using several economic and production indicators across three sub-periods: 1994-2001; 2002-2009; and 2010-2017. The variables analysed were planted area, cane yield, sugar recovery, sugar and ethanol production, sugar exports, domestic price of white sugar, direct production, harvest and transport costs, and break-even point for a frequently used crop-management scheme. From 1994 to 2017, planted area, production, cane yield, sugar recovery and local white sugar price increased at an average annual rate of 0.79%, 3.26%, 1.32%, 0.14% and 1.01%, respectively. Direct costs per hectare grew at an annual rate of 3.01%. Harvest and transport costs represented about 50% of the direct cost over the evaluated period. It was concluded that from 1994 to 2017, production, productivity, prices, costs and break-even point increased. However, in the last sub-period (2010-2017), despite the growth of sugar production and planted area and productivity diminished and costs and the break-even point continued to rise. This was largely due to an increase per tonne in harvest and transport costs, at an annual rate of 9.39% and 6.95%, respectively. Over the full study period, production of sugarcane ethanol as a by-product increased and positively influenced the local white sugar price to reach the highest recorded levels.

Keywords : Planted area; production; break-even point; sugarcane yield; costs.