In the past, the sugar industry was the foundation for the diversification of the national economy and the catalyst for the development of other industries.

Sugarcane is the world’s largest crop with cultivation taking place in 99 countries and close to 2 billion MT produced every year. The crop is used to meet consumer demand for sucrose, molasses and industrial derivatives. Presently, the potential for ethanol biofuels is being explored.

In the Dominican Republic, 553,717 MT of sugar were produced in the 2011-2012 harvest, f which over 200,000 MT were exported, generating US$162.2 million in exports. US$38.7 million were earned in that same period from the export of molasses and furfural. As a result, US$200.9 million in sugar and byproducts were exported. The 2012-2013 harvest yielded 589,000 MT of sugar.