The LaSuCa sugar mill’s fleet of 100 or so 18-wheel trucks are expected to begin hauling sugarcane to the mill at St. John this Friday or Saturday, kicking of the annual harvest season that will last well into December or early January.
LaSuCa General Manager Mike Comb said Monday the starting date had not yet been firmed up but would certainly be no later than Saturday.
He said the mill, which is currently in the midst of a five year upgrade and expansion, is expecting to process as much as 1,360,000 tons of cane collected by growers from nine parishes, including St. Martin, Iberia, St. Landry, Vermilion, Iberville, Avoyelles, Rapides and Pointe Coupee.
This will be an increase over the 2017 harvest, which saw the mill grind 1,310,000 tons.
“The local crop will probably not match last year’s record harvest,” Comb said, “but we’ve added more growers to our client base and that is expected to result in the increased tonnage.”
The mill had first expected to begin grinding yesterday (Tuesday), but almost daily showers throughout the area forced the slight delay.
In addition to the fleet of trucks used to haul cane to the mill, LaSuCa also employs five modern sugar harvesting machines to assist farmers in bringing in the crop.
Motorists are advised to be aware of the increased truck traffic on area roads during the harvest season.
