Cuba can import sugar as rum industry comes under pressure from disastrous harvest

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's sugar harvest is reaching its lowest level since 1900, forcing the government to import and put more pressure on the national rum, soft drink and pharmaceutical industries, according to official reports, two economists and a rum industry source. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in late April that the state industry had produced 71% of the planned 412,000 metric tons, or just under 300,000 metric tons, and would continue manufacturing through May. Cuba produced 350,000 metric tons last harvest and, although some mills remain open, yields fall sharply in May as hot, humid weather sets in accompanied by summer rains. "This means that we will have to import and, of course, less sugar means that there will be less syrup and alcohol for various industries and, of course, rum," said Cuban economist Omar Everleny. The Caribbean nation was once the world's top sugar exporter, producing 8 million tonnes of raw sugar in 1989 before the collapse of its former ...