Rain, freezing weather hurt Louisiana sugarcane crop

What looked like a promising sugarcane crop in Louisiana has been hurt by late-year rain and cold weather, which have reduced the cane's sugar content, left farmers with rutted fields and complicated processing at the mills.

Compared to early processing rates of about 220 pounds of sugar per ton of cane, the average has dropped into the 140s in cane caught by poor weather, according to LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Dr. Ben Legendre.

Prices aren’t helping the situation for sugarcane growers either. “Prices are under 20 cents a pound to the growers,” Legendre said. “This is the lowest price we have seen in quite some time.