CAC Sets New Sugar Production Record in Barahona

Consorcio Azucarero Central (CAC) closed its 2025-2026 harvest with a new production record, processing 748,000 tons of sugar cane and producing 81,124 tons of refined sugar at its operations in Barahona.

The company reported an industrial yield of 10.85% during the latest harvest. Administrative manager José Antonio García attributed the increase to investments made in recent years, including mechanized harvesting, drip irrigation and the annual planting of new cane seedlings after fields are harvested.

Investment Drives Higher Production

García said the latest result reflects a strategy focused on modernizing the company’s agricultural operations and improving productivity. The mechanization of cane cutting and the expansion of drip irrigation have been among the measures introduced to optimize production, alongside the continued renewal of the company’s plantations.

The previous 2024-2025 harvest produced 776,700 tons of cane and 84,300 metric tons of sugar. García noted that season was longer than the 2025-2026 harvest, making direct comparisons of overall output less straightforward despite the previous season’s higher totals.

For the 2026-2027 harvest, CAC plans to increase mechanization to more than 75% of harvesting operations. The company says the move is intended to continue improving efficiency while adapting its workforce to increasingly technical agricultural and industrial operations.

CAC Remains a Major Employer in the South

The company’s economic footprint extends beyond Barahona into Bahoruco and Independencia provinces and other areas connected directly or indirectly to its operations. CAC says it employed more than 3,200 people during the latest harvest, making it the largest employer in the southern region from San Cristóbal to Pedernales.

García said the company accounts for about 15% of registered employment across its area of influence in the Enriquillo region. Of its workforce, 1,850 employees come from the southern region, with 71% originating in Barahona.

The company’s annual payroll reaches approximately RD$1.04 billion, which García said represents around 30% of the wage bill in Barahona province. The business also maintains a predominantly local supply chain, with 83% of its suppliers based in the area.

That combination of direct employment, wages and local procurement makes the sugar operation a significant part of the economic activity surrounding Barahona and neighboring provinces, where agricultural and industrial employment remains closely tied to regional businesses.

Training Expands Beyond the Sugar Industry

CAC is also linking its modernization strategy to workforce training. Through the Fundación Central Barahona, the company’s social arm, it works with the National Institute of Technical and Professional Training (INFOTEP) to provide technical education, particularly for residents of communities connected to sugar production.

The partnership has reached 4,282 people in the Enriquillo region and resulted in 473 certificates in fields including mechanics, information technology, welding, languages, nursing, pharmacy and baking. In one of the program’s most recent rounds, 341 young people completed different training programs through INFOTEP.

Beyond providing facilities and materials, the foundation offers logistical support and seeks to connect technical training with employment opportunities and local economic development. The initiative reflects the changing skills required by an increasingly mechanized sugar industry, which now relies on operators, technicians and other specialized workers.

The Fundación Central Barahona also provides university scholarships for young people from bateyes, along with educational, sports and community programs aimed at expanding opportunities for residents from an early age.

As CAC prepares for its next harvest, the company is combining further mechanization with workforce development while maintaining a large employment and supplier network in the Enriquillo region. The planned increase in mechanized harvesting will be another test of how the operation balances higher agricultural efficiency with its longstanding economic role in southern Dominican Republic.