Mike Comb


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Producing Excellence Partner

Mike Comb

Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooper ative Location: St. Martinville, LA » Type of Operation: Sugar mill » Size of Operation: 1.1 million tons » Years in Business: 39 Farm Credit Partner: Louisiana Land Bank » Years Working with Farm Credit: 1 Americans consume almost 80 pounds of sugar

paid based on that measurement along with the

each year. More than one million tons of that

number of tons delivered, and at LaSuCa, the

comes from the Louisiana Sugar Cane Corporation

growers also receive a liquidation payment at the

(LaSuCa), a cooperative sugar mill that processes

end of the season. “We weigh the cane coming in

cane supplied by its 40 member-growers.

and the sugar going out,” says Mike. “We account

Turning the sugar cane plant into crystallized sugar is an equipment intensive, labor intensive and organization intensive process, in part due to one critical aspect of the cane: it needs to be processed within 24 hours of being harvested, and

for every pound of sugar, and we make sure we pay the grower for every pound of sugar they delivered.” As a cooperative, growers also share in the profits LaSuCa earns from the refineries that buy their raw sugar.

harvest lasts just from late September through

Once the cane is received, it’s chopped and

early January. “We can’t start harvesting earlier

pressed to extract the cane juice. The juice is

because the sugar content isn’t developed,” says

then cooked down to make a syrup, which is

Mike Comb, general manager at LaSuCa since 2003

crystallized to make the sugar. LaSuCa runs 24/7

and himself a former grower. “And we have to be

when it’s processing, which is demanding work for

finished before any killer freezes that will split the

its employees. “Working in a sugar mill is not easy

stalk and ruin it in the field.”

work,” says Mike. “Some of our employees work 12

This makes for an intense three-month processing

hour shifts, and can go 110 days without a day off.”

season. The mill takes in up to 12,000 tons of cane

Technology improvements help make the process

a day, aiming to have some cane from each of its

more efficient. “We’re able to process more cane

grower-members every day of the season. “We try

with the same amount of equipment, and to

to get every farm to start on the first day and finish

extract more sugar from the cane than even 20

on the last to make sure everyone has an equal

years ago,” says Mike. Some of that technology

opportunity to get their harvest in in time,” he says.

is financed by Louisiana Land Bank, one of

Also, since growers are paid based on the amount

LaSuCa’s Farm Credit partners. “Sugar is a unique

of sugar content in their cane, and cane harvested

commodity, and they understand it. They know

earlier has less sugar, this approach gives growers

the industry has good times and bad, and they’ve

an equitable opportunity for income.

stuck with us through all of those.”

Measuring that sugar content is one step in the milling process, and LaSuCa sample tests 90 – 95% of every load that comes in. The grower is