Cuba expects wide participation in the World Sugar Forum

The director general of the Cuban Institute for Research on Sugar Cane Derivatives (Icidca), Mariela Gallardo, said that 212 delegates will be present, including 179 from the host country.

The other 33 come from Germany, Austria, Colombia, Spain, France, Guatemala, India, Tanzania, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Sweden, Brazil, China, Peru , Norway and Canada.

The Congress, which will be held face-to-face and virtually, includes among its core activities a scientific event and a business forum.

Among the most significant aspects of the forum is the opening speech “New trends in the sugar sector”, which will be delivered virtually by the Executive Director of the International Sugar Organization (ISO), the Guatemalan José Orive.

Note also that of Manuel Enríquez Poy, general manager of the Motzorongo Group, from Mexico, entitled “Sugar cane and pandemic. What’s next?”, as well as that of Ana Nelis San Juan, Director of Biotechnology at Icidca, who will speak on the theme of bioproducts, a circular economy approach aimed at agricultural sustainability in Cuba.

This edition of Diversification was originally scheduled for 2021, but was postponed due to the international and national situation existing at the time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was preceded by the celebration of three workshops, focusing on Varieties, seeds and plant health of sugar cane, Agricultural Extension, Bioproducts, and an asset on Biological Control.

The director of international relations, business and foreign investment of the Sugar Business Group (Azcuba), Lourdes Castellanos, in response to a question, clarified that there are 25 foreign investment projects in the sector, including the leader is the one that must concerns the modernization of a sugar factory.

Azcuba’s IT and communication director, Dionis Pérez, highlighted the 93 measures aimed at saving the agro-industry, of which 10 are aimed at sugar cane, five at improving the activity of sugar factories, seven at mechanization and the agricultural transport and six related to the production of energy and derivatives.

According to Gallardo, since 1983, Icidca has been organizing international events dedicated to topics related to sugar cane, its derivatives and co-products.

ef/car/rs