Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

1971

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Fabian, R.G.

Abstract

Cane harvesting is the major operation in sugar production which is not entirely mechanized in south Florida. The introduction of a successful harvesting machine is delayed because of the prevailing soil and climatic conditions which cause an increase in the fiber content of cane to be processed. In turn, this increased fiber content in cane will cause a diseconomy in the sugar output per acre as well as an increase in the cost for sugar processing. The recent concern for air pollution may prevent the burning of cane prior to harvesting in the future. The cessation of cane burning may make the present method of manual harvesting uneconomical and may cause the closing of the sugar processing plants. The introduction of mechanical harvesting together with the cessation of cane burning will cause a less severe drop in earnings per acre. With this system the Florida sugar industry should manage to continue its operation in the short run. Whether the Florida sugar industry could remain profitable in the long run would depend on how fast technological advances are able to produce a cane quality with a sufficiently low fiber (trash) content to warrant an economical sugar production from mechanically harvested and non-burned cane. Support by public funds in the form of an additional taxation on refined sugar is suggested for a limited period so that the Florida sugar industry may survive at the time when an order to prohibit cane burning would be instituted. Survival by the Florida sugar industry in the long run may depend on the successful application of future technology applied to mechanical harvesting so that a cane with a low trash content can be processed. Such an achievement will lower the fixed and variable costs for sugar production. An alternative approach to economic survival and without taxation in the long run is an effort to increase earnings per acre. The introduction of processing methods other than milling may accomodate the processing of green, mechanically harvested cane without an appreciable increase in costs. Also, the production of by-products may offer an approach to obtain such a goal.

Extent

64 p.

Comments

College of Business|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1971.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|College of Business

Identifier

FADT13429

Format

pdf

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