How much cane and sugar will Guatemala produce in 2026/27 and how many mills operate, according to USDA?

Per USDA's Sugar Annual 2026 (April 14, 2026), the sugar industry runs 13 mills on the south coast. For marketing year 2026/27 (November–October) harvested cane area is forecast at 262,000 hectares, 5.7 % above the 248,000 estimated for 2025/26, including about 14,000 additional hectares of the Magdalena mill in Retalhuleu; planted area would be 288,000 hectares (about a fifth is under renovation each year, on roughly five-year cycles). Sugar output is forecast at 2.81 million metric tons, 4.8 % above 2025/26's 2.68 million and 7.2 % above 2024/25's 2.62 million. CENGICAÑA estimates weather moves output ±2.5 % at constant area; 2025/26 had favourable rain and sunshine in its first 18 weeks. Harvested area had fallen for eight years (from 263,000 ha in 2018/19 to 240,000 in 2022/23) on low international prices, including India's sugar subsidies.