Quintana Roo Sugar Harvest Faces Crisis Amid Fungus Outbreak and U.S. Market Closure

Chetumal, Mexico — The sugar cane harvest in southern Quintana Roo is facing a difficult year despite significant improvements in crop quality, with production and prices hit by a fusarium fungus outbreak and the closure of the U.S. export market.

During the first 27 days of harvest, the Karbe measurement reached 93.4, up from 78 during the same period last year, reflecting technical advances in cultivation. However, some fields that normally produce over 60,000 tons have yielded only about 20,000 tons this season.

The harvest is now expected to reach approximately 1.05 million tons, far below the initial target of 1.8 million tons and even below the more modest goal of 1.2 million tons.

While the fusarium fungus cannot be completely eradicated, producers have implemented more effective control strategies and improved agricultural practices through the use of organic fertilizers produced in biofactories. These measures aim to reduce the impact of the pest and protect cane quality.

Another factor affecting the sector is the low national sugar price, resulting from massive imports of foreign product in previous years. Although the implementation of a protective tariff has allowed a slight recovery, the loss of access to the U.S. market—which previously represented over one million tons annually—continues to pressure prices.

In 2025, 188,000 tons were exported to the U.S., but no sales have been recorded this year, leaving an estimated surplus of five million tons of sugar.

Despite these challenges, producers remain confident that fusarium management strategies and production improvements will help them overcome this difficult year and maintain hope for the sector’s recovery.