By Patricia Grogg
SANTA CLARA, Cuba, Dec 16 2004 (IPS)

The Cuban workers at the Carlos Baliño mill had never even heard of organic sugar when the idea of producing it was first proposed to them. But now they are getting ready to plant their fourth crop, and even hope to further increase their current output of over 4,000 tons.

The organic production process is complex, involving special measures from the moment the sugar cane is planted right up through its final processing. But the price for organic sugar, roughly 20 cents a pound (0.454 kg), makes the effort well worthwhile, since it is double or more the price of conventional sugar.

"With 5,000 tons of organic sugar, the country can take in over a million dollars," noted Pedro Cordobés, the technical foreman at the mill’s refinery.

The Carlos Baliño mill, located in the municipality of Santo Domingo, in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara, has the necessary land and processing capacity to eventually produce up to 10,000 tons of organic sugar.

At the moment, it sells its product to clients in Japan, France, Canada, the Netherlands and Italy, among others.

Cuban specialists have determined that in recent years, the demand for organic products has increased by more than 160 percent in Japan, the United States and the countries of the European Union. This growth is comparable to that experienced in communications and other high tech sectors.

According to these same sources, the Japanese organic food market represents sales of some three billion dollars annually, while Europeans spend around 12 billion dollars a year on these chemical-free products.

Paraguay, Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina are among the largest Latin American producers of organic sugar, an agricultural product with significant value added. Given its relatively high price, it is primarily consumed in the wealthier industrialised nations.

"Around the world, a growing number of people are turning to organic products, which are better for their health and for the environment," said the mill’s director, Modesto Felipe Peraza.

Through organic sugar, he added, Cuba has found a way to take part in this burgeoning movement.

The cultivation of organic sugar requires all chemical fertilisers and pesticides to be replaced with biological and botanical alternatives, in addition to the use of techniques like crop rotation and diversification.

"This is a high quality product, which requires a great deal of care, because there can’t be any chemicals involved in the processing stage, either," noted Idelsis Soto, an engineer at the mill’s laboratory.

Both the cultivation and processing of organic sugar are monitored by a specialised Cuban agency and Ecocert, a German firm that provides inspection and certification services for organic products.

Organic sugar production in Cuba began with a pilot project at a small mill on the grounds of the Central University of Las Villas.

The Carlos Baliño mill planted its first organic sugar cane crop for the 2000-2001 harvest, producing roughly 4,000 tons that first year.

Until now, it is the only mill in Cuba that produces organic sugar.

There were once three sugar mills in the municipality of Santo Domingo, but by the end of the 1990s, there was not enough cane to supply all of them, and only one was kept open.

"Producing organic sugar saved us from a total shutdown. We have taken on the challenge, although it wasn’t easy at the beginning," said Esperanza Martínez, the mill’s sales and marketing manager.

Their efforts have certainly paid off, however. In just a few short years, in fact, additional business opportunities have emerged.

Under a contract signed with a Japanese firm, an organic dried fruit plant should begin operations within the next few months.

According to Martínez, there are plans to produce roughly 36 tons of dried fruit in the first year. The Japanese company will contribute the equipment, technology and technical assistance, while Cuba will provide the raw materials and make other needed investments.

The agreement also includes other projects still subject to approval, such as a small-scale alcohol distillery and pulping plant.

"By 2005, everything at the Baliño mill will be organic," said its directors.

Cuba’s organic agriculture programme also extends to such products as coffee, cacao, honey, coconut, aloe vera and orange and grapefruit juice, primarily for export to Europe.

Throughout the sector, chemical fertilisers have been replaced with biological alternatives like manure, compost and worm humus.

In terms of pest control, various biological and botanical solutions have been developed. A special centre has been created to breed "helpful" insects that control harmful pests and weeds. Plants with natural insecticide, fungicide and herbicide qualities are also used for the same purpose.

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