Veracruz sugarcane industry hit by pest outbreak, threatening US export season

A severe infestation of the barren borer worm combined with Fusarium fungus is damaging sugarcane crops in Veracruz, Mexico. The pests pierce stalks, allowing the fungus to dry plants and sharply reduce sucrose content, leading to lower yields for sugar mills. Industry leader Ángel Hernández Cázarez, vice‑president of the Gulf Region branch of the National Chamber of the Transformation Industry (Canacintra), warned that “we deliver more bagasse than juice to the factories. Many trucks arrive loaded with cane, but much of it is already dry.”

The disruption forced several mills to extend the harvest into May, and the La Gloria mill suspended operations due to lack of raw material. The Federal government noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects Mexico could import about 1.052 million tonnes of sugar for the 2026‑27 cycle, putting additional pressure on the sector. Canacintra is calling on Veracruz’s agricultural ministries to launch an urgent pest‑control program similar to those used in coffee‑growing regions, to prevent loss of cultivated area and protect workers and the broader supply chain.