Such a Sweet Day

Today was truly a sweet day. We spent the morning exploring sugarcane production and processing. We started our day in the fields where we had great discussions on production practices and were able to experience harvest. The gentleman that managed the sugarcane field that we visited has 37,500 acres of sugarcane. It was clear he was very innovative in his production practices. After harvest he has crews come in to analyze post harvest loss, stem lengths, and more to improve yields. The specific field we were in was on it’s 11th year of production. Most fields can go 6 or 7 years with the same sugarcane before it sees yield loss, but this field has been in production for 11 years with no drop in production due to soil nutrition and health management.

From the fields we made our way to a small, family owned sugarcane processing plant that produces sugar for consumption and ethanol. It was incredible to see all that goes into processing sugarcane to a finished product. Many were amazed by the amount of chemistry and steps to produce sugar and ethanol. We were even able to sample some of the finished sugar towards the end of the tour.

After we enjoyed lunch at a Churrascaria (meat feast), we made our way to a seed corn Pioneer production plant. We were able to discuss operations at the plant and tour the facilities. We had the opportunity to compare and contrast processes in the USA and Brazil. Much was the same, but there were several differences that led to engaging conversations. Many enjoyed some relief from the heat in the cold storage at the plant.

We ended our evening with a dinner where many enjoyed a monster of a burger and conversations with great friends from Brazil. We look forward to tomorrow which will be our final full day in Brazil.