Technological and economic trajectories of the Mexican sugar agroindustry (2014–2024)

Jorge Armida-Lozano, Gustavo Lopez-Romero, Felipe Gallardo-López, Gregorio Hernadez-Salinas, Juan Cristóbal Hernández-Arzaba, Emmanuel de Jesús Ramírez-Rivera, Diego Esteban Platas-Rosado

Abstract


Background: The sugar agroindustry in Mexico has undergone significant transformations in the last decade due to the interaction of various technological, economic, and social factors that have modified the productive trajectory of this agricultural sector. Objective To analyze the technological trajectory of sugarcane harvesting in the Mexican states with the highest national production (2014 to 2024) to identify regional and temporal patterns. Methodology: Data from the National Committee for the Sustainable Development of Sugarcane (CONADESUCA, 2024) were used to analyze the following variables: total sugar production, industrialized area, number of harvesters, degree of mechanization in harvesting, theoretical KARBE (Sugarcane Amount Residue), reference prices, and agro-industrial yields. Non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) test was applied to the factors (state and year of production), along with multiple factor analysis. Results: Differences were found in the factors analyzed. The sugarcane agroindustry in the states of Jalisco and San Luis Potosí stands out for its mechanization, while Veracruz, although it has consolidated its position as a national leader due to its size, still lags behind in technological modernization, similar to the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. Multiple Factor Analysis revealed three important trajectories: 1) 2014–2018, characterized by high production volumes and efficiency; 2) 2019–2021, identifying structural tensions and changes in direction; and 3) 2022–2024, representing the dominance of mechanization and price volatility as central variables. Implications: These findings provide evidence to guide public policies and sustainability strategies in the sector. Conclusion: The Mexican sugarcane agro-industry is moving towards an economic-technological logic where mechanization and efficiency are consolidated as determining factors of its competitiveness and future sustainability.

Keywords


Sugarcane, Agroindustry; Technological Change; Mechanization.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Addinsoft., 2022. XLSTAT statistical and data analysis solution. New York, NY: Addinsoft. Available at: https://www.xlstat.com/

Aguilar-Rivera, N., 2014. Reconversión de la cadena agroindustrial de la caña de azúcar en Veracruz, México’, Nova Scientia, 6(12), pp. 125–161. Available at: http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2007-07052014000200007&lng=es&tlng=es

Armida-Alcudia, L., Ruiz-Rosado, O., Salgado-García, S., Gallardo-López, F., Nava-Tablada, M.E., and Juárez-López, J. F., 2011. Socioeconomic and technological factors in sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) agroecosystems production in Chontalpa, Tabasco, Mexico. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 13(3), pp. 261-269.

Aguilar-Rivera, N., 2018. A framework for the analysis of socioeconomic and geographic sugarcane agro industry sustainability, Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 66, pp. 149-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2018.07.006

Altieri, M.A., Nicholls, C.I. and Montalba, R., 2017. Technological approaches to sustainable agriculture at a crossroads: An agroecological perspective. Sustainability, 9(3), pp. 349. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9030349

Candelario-Rosales, L.L., Ávila-Bello, C.H., Flota-Bañuelos, C., Fraire-Cordero, S. and Rosales-Martínez, V., 2025. Evaluación de indicadores de sustentabilidad del agroecosistema de caña de azúcar en Sihochac, Champotón, Campeche, México, Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 28(2), pp. 071. https://doi.org/10.56369/tsaes.5935

Castillo, J. L., González, D.X. and Soto, J.M., 2018. Agroindustria de la caña de azúcar: desafíos para el sector agrícola, Boletín Científico de las Ciencias Económico Administrativas del ICEA, 7(13), pp. 10–17. https://doi.org/10.29057/icea.v7i13.3503

Chapae, C., Songsri, P., Gonkhamdee, S. and Jongrungklang, N., 2020. Understanding drought responses of sugarcane cultivars controlled under low water potential conditions, Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research, 80(3), pp. 370–380. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-58392020000300370

CONADESUCA., 2025. Programa institucional del Comité Nacional para el Desarrollo Sustentable de la Caña de Azúcar 2025–2030. Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural.

CONADESUCA., 2024. Informe estadístico del sector agroindustrial de la caña de azúcar en México. Zafras 2013-2014/2023-2024. Ciudad de México: Comité Nacional para el Desarrollo Sustentable de la Caña de Azúcar.

Deuja, A., Khant, M., Silalertruksa, T., Gheewala, S. and Prapaspongsa, T., 2025. Implications of technological improvement and circular agriculture on environmental sustainability of sugarcane production, Cleaner Environmental Systems, 18, pp.100285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100285

DOF., 2005. Ley de Desarrollo Sustentable de la Caña de Azúcar. Diario Oficial de la Federación, 22 de agosto de 2005. https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/ldsca.htm.

Ferraz, D., Oliveira, F.C.R., Rebelatto, D.A.N. and Pyka, A., 2021. Mechanization in sugarcane production and other agricultural activities: An econometric analysis of employment and income, Gestão & Produção, 28(4), pp. e5768. https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9649-2021v28e5768

Figueroa-Rodríguez, K.A., Hernández-Rosas, F., Figueroa-Sandoval, B., Velasco-Velasco, J. and Aguilar-Rivera, N., 2019. What has been the focus of sugarcane research A bibliometric overview’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(18), pp. 3326. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16183326

Flores-Mariscal, J. R., 2021. Determinantes de la precariedad del trabajo jornalero agrícola en México. Región y Sociedad, 33 (1), pp. e1487 https://doi.org/10.22198/rys2021/33/1487

Gómez-Merino, F.C., Trejo-Téllez, L.I., Salazar-Ortiz, J., Pérez-Sato, J.A., Sentíes-Herrera, H.E., Bello-Bello, J.J. and Aguilar-Rivera, N., 2017. La diversificación de la agroindustria azucarera como estrategia para México, Agro Productividad, 10 (11), pp. 7-12.

Hernández-Cázares, A.S., 2014. La agroindustria de la caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinarum) en México, Agro Productividad, 7(2), pp. 35–44.

Herrera-Solano, A., Herrera Reyes, M., Verdejo Lara, R.A., Real Garrido, C.J. and Castillo Morán, A., 2023. Cosecha de la caña de azúcar y su impacto social en Veracruz. Revista Biológico Agropecuaria Tuxpan, 11(1), pp.13-20. https://doi.org/10.47808/revistabioagro.v11i1.456

Horta, J.M. and Zepeda, M.C., 2024. Análisis comparativo entre sistema de zafra por parcela y por lote en el valle El Grullo-Autlán, Scientia Tecnológica, 1(3), pp. 42-45. https://doi.org/10.1234/6per3h50

Jeongwoo, H., Dunn, J.B., Cai, H., Elgowainy, A. and Michael, Q., 2012. Updated sugarcane parameters in GREET1_2012, second revision. Argonne National Laboratory. Available at: http://greet.es.anl.gov/publication-greet-updated-sugarcane

Josse, J., Pagés, J. and Husson, F., 2008. Testing the significance of the RV coefficient, Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, 53, pp. 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csda.2008.06.012

Limna, J.B., Kamaraj, P., Thambidurai, S., Thiyagarajan, R., Sivakumar, S.D. and Kathiravan, M., 2025. Review of mechanical sugarcane harvesters: Performance, efficiency and crop suitability, Plant Science Today, 12, pp.1-5. https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.6597

Moreno-Seceña, J.C., Landeros-Sánchez, C., Pérez-Vázquez, A., Castañeda-Chávez, M.R., López-Collado, C.J. and Palacios-Vélez, O.L., 2011. Nitrogen management in sugarcane and its influence on yield, profitability and leaching losses, Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 13(3), pp. 373–379.

Oliveira, F.C.R., 2009. Ocupação, emprego e remuneração na cana-de-açúcar e em outras atividades agropecuárias no Brasil, de 1992 a 2007. Master’s thesis. Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba.

Ortiz Laurel, H., Salgado García, S., Castelán Estrada, M. and Córdova Sánchez, S., 2012. Perspectivas de la cosecha de la caña de azúcar cruda en México. Revista mexicana de ciencias agrícolas, 3(spe4), 767-773. Recuperado en 18 de diciembre de 2025, de http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2007-09342012000900020&lng=es&tlng=es

Parascanu, M.M., Sánchez, N., Sandoval-Salas, F., Carreto, C.M., Soreanu, G. and Sanchez-Silva, L., 2021. Environmental and economic analysis of bioethanol production from sugarcane molasses and agave juice, Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 28(45), pp. 64374–64393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15471-4

Pérez-Medina, P.P., 2022. La agroindustria cañera en México y los factores que han determinado su historia reciente (1961-2021), Revista Inclusiones, 9, pp. 41–70.

Quiroz-Guerrero, I., Pérez-Vázquez, A., Landeros-Sánchez, C., Morales-Ramos, V. and Zetina-Lezama, R., 2011. Percepción y actitud de productores cañeros sobre la composta de cachaza y vinaza, Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 14(3), pp. 847–856.

Rangel-Zaragoza, J.L., Aguilar-Ávila, J., Valdivia-Alcalá, R. and Leos-Rodríguez, J.A., 2021. Jornaleros agrícolas migrantes y su permanencia laboral en los campos agrícolas de México, Agricultura, Sociedad y Desarrollo, 18, pp. 635–661. https://doi.org/10.22231/asyd.v18i4.1548

Reyes-Gutiérrez, J.A., Guerra-Medina, C.E. and Montañez-Valdez, O.D., 2015. Chemical composition and in situ evaluation of fresh and ensiled sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 18(3), pp. 273–277.

Santiago-Zárate, I.M., Martínez-Damián, M.Á., Cuevas-Alvarado, C.M., Valdivia-Alcalá, R., García-Hernández, M.I. and Hernández-Toscano, J., 2021. Productividad y cambio tecnológico en la agroindustria de la caña de azúcar en México, Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas, 12(6), pp. 1005–1017. https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v12i6.2692

Seabra, J.E.A., Macedo, I.C., Chum, H.L., Faroni, C.E. and Sarto, C.A., 2011. Life cycle assessment of Brazilian sugarcane products: GHG emissions and energy use, Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, 5, pp. 519–532. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.289

Sentíes-Herrera, H.E., Gómez-Merino, F.C., Valdez-Balero, A., Silvia-Rojas, H.V. and Trejo-Téllez, L. I., 2014. The agro-industrial sugarcane system in Mexico: Current status, challenges and opportunities, Journal of Agricultural Science, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v6n4p26

SIAP., 2025. Anuario estadístico de la producción agrícola. Servicio de Información Agroalimentaria y Pesquera. Available at: https://nube.siap.gob.mx/cierreagricola/

Solano, C.S., Ponciano, N.J., Azevedo, H.J.D., & Souza, P.M.D., 2017. Factors limiting the implementation of mechanical harvesting of sugarcane in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil. Revista Ceres, 64(1), 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-737X201764010006

Stanimirova, I., Walczak, B. and Massart, D.L., 2005. Multiple factor analysis in environmental chemistry. Analytica Chimica Acta, 545(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2005.04.054

Szajner, P. and Hryszko, K., 2024. Cyclical fluctuations on the global sugar market in the context of the war in Ukraine, European Research Studies Journal, 27(3), pp. 482-498. https://doi.org/10.35808/ersj/3451

Villegas-Vilchis, A., Platas-Rosado, D., Gallardo-López, F. and López-Romero, G., 2020. Análisis estructural MicMac para determinar las variables estratégicas de la agroindustria azucarera en México, Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas, 11(6), pp. 1325–1335. https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v11i6.2194

Voora, V., Bermúdez, S., Le, H., Larrea, C. and Luna, E., 2023. Global market report: Sugar cane prices and sustainability. International Institute for Sustainable Development. Available at: https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/2023-global-market-report-sugar-cane




URN: http://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/urn:ISSN:1870-0462-tsaes.v29i1.66416

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.56369/tsaes.6641

Bookmark and Share


Copyright (c) 2026 Jorge Armida-Lozano, Gustavo Lopez-Romero, Felipe Gallardo-López, Gregorio Hernadez-Salinas, Juan Cristóbal Hernández-Arzaba, Emmanuel de Jesús Ramírez-Rivera, Diego Esteban Platas-Rosado

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.