CAUSES AND MANAGEMENT OF FIELD TO FACTORY SUCROSE LOSSES IN SOME AFRICAN SUGAR INDUSTRIES

Abstract

Sugar recovery from crushed care depends on the maturity and variety of caine used as well as other physiological environmental and management factors both in the field and in the factory. Sugar production is labour intensive and in most African countries where political practice is unstable and technological acquisition lags behind; labour use at peak periods of kill to mill impedes processing rate thus accounting for great sugar losses arising from microbial activities. This review points out the various stages of sugar production from field to factory and Causes of sucrose losses as well as suggests areas of improvement to stem field to factory sucrose losses.