SAN JUAN–Puerto Rico's governor says farmers in the US territory are once again cultivating sugarcane to help local distilleries produce rum as part of a US$170 million project.Gov Alejandro Garcia Padilla said yesterday that he expects up to 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) to be cultivated by 2016, generating some 1,300 jobs.He said sugarcane will be grown in at least ten municipalities in the island's western region, the majority of it on private property.
Garcia said he expects farmers to eventually produce some 800,000 tons (726,000 metric tons) of sugarcane, which will be turned into 20.5 million gallons (76 million litres) of molasses.He said an unidentified private company will operate a new sugarcane processing plant that is scheduled to be built later this year.
AP