Louisiana Sugar Cane Growers Hoping For Better Times Ahead

ABC News reports that after years of fighting storms and flat prices, Louisiana sugar cane growers, at the heart of a $2 billion industry, are hoping for better financial times as farmers and the food industry unite to get the product from the fields to the consumer in a direct line.

Construction is under way on a $190 million sugar refinery near Gramercy, northwest of New Orleans, that will be able to produce one million tons of sugar annually.

Growers say the refinery, expected to begin processing in 2011, will give them a steady market for Louisiana cane that will support higher prices. It’s the first time state growers have been involved in such a field-to-consumer venture.