On February 15, the Melanio Hernández sugar mill in Sancti Spíritus halted operations due to fuel shortages, marking the end of Cuba's 2026 sugar harvest. This premature closure underscores the industry's long decline, forcing the country to import sugar to meet domestic needs. Mill-dependent communities now face an extended 'dead season' with reduced services and opportunities.
Cuba's 2026 sugar harvest started on January 1 at the Siboney mill, the first to activate nationwide, but was plagued by interruptions and low expectations. The Melanio Hernández mill in Sancti Spíritus province was the last grinding cane until February 15, when it received orders to stop due to fuel shortages. Though not officially announced, indications suggest the halt is permanent, ending a campaign with scaled-back production plans, such as Siboney's 4,000 tons over 61 days—less than a fifth of volumes from two decades ago.
Once the world's leading sugar producer, Cuba now imports to meet an annual domestic demand of around 250,000 tons. Poor plantation and mill conditions, resource shortages, and lack of skilled labor lowered hopes from the outset. Juan Miguel, a 67-year-old centrifuge operator at Siboney, said: “A short harvest is better than none. The saddest thing in the world is a sugar town in ‘dead season’.” He explained that mills provide community benefits like repairs, transportation, and aqueduct operations during harvest.
Neighbor Nilia Rey noted transportation improvements, such as the workers' bus from Camagüey that charges less than private options. In contrast, the former Alfredo Álvarez Mola mill town, closed due to government restructurings, suffers from job losses, closed subsidized stores, and marabú overgrowth, prompting many to leave.
Controversies arose over machete cutters in Granma province at the Enidio Díaz mill, earning 700 pesos per ton and averaging 22,000 pesos monthly, with manual cutting rising 80% amid the fuel crisis worsened since January 29 by a U.S. oil blockade ordered by President Donald Trump. Transport engineer Omar Martínez explained that producing one ton of sugar requires up to two tons of petroleum for profitability, stressing mechanization needs. Youth shun the industry due to low wages, a legacy of the mid-2000s Alvaro Reynoso Task that dismantled over half the mills. The 2027 harvest remains uncertain, and Juan Miguel reflected: “Without sugar there is no country.”
