About Sugar

The Cane Plant
All of life’s energy originates from the sun. Green plants harness solar energy and store it in the form of carbohydrates. By careful selection and breeding, sugar can has become one of the most efficient converters of solar energy into food carbohydrates and fibre.

The cane stalk transports water and nutrients from the soil to the leaves, where they are combined with carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to form sugar (sucrose). The stalk also serves as a reservoir for sugar as the cane ripens and is protected by a hard rind.

Growing Sugar Cane
An average cane farm is 56 hectares and produces around 4,000 tonnes of cane per year.

Cane is planted between mid-August and October. Cane stalks are cut into 300mm long “setts” and planted 100mm below the soil surface in rows 1.5m apart. Fertiliser is added and weeds are controlled for the next three to four months.

The crop is harvested in the July to November crushing season, either one or two years after planting. Most NSW crops are harvested as two year olds.

After harvest, a “ratoon” crop grows from the below ground parts of the previous crop. Two or three ratoon crops are grown from each planting.

Harvesting & Transport
NSW boasts one of the most efficient harvesting systems in the sugar cane growing world. A fleet of modern, high capacity harvesters and in-field cane transporters handle the crop efficiently and in all weather conditions.

The harvesters cut and load into in-field transporters, which either tip or elevate the cane into 24 tonne bins at central locations on the farm. These bins are transported to the raw sugar mills by road.

Sugar & Health
Essential blood sugars and the energy required for an active & healthy lifestyle are provided by a moderate intake of foods containing sugar. The brain requires blood sugars for its normal daily function.

Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrate. They are found in foods throughout nature – in fruits, vegetables, nectar, honey and milk.

The simple sugars – glucose and fructose – are found in nearly all plants. Sometimes they occur together as sucrose, which is simply a combination of glucose and fructose. We know sucrose as sugar, the major source of which is sugar cane.

From the earliest days, sugar has been a popular food ingredient and part of a healthy diet. It is reassuring to know that, unlike synthetic sweeteners, real sugar does not need warning labels.

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