Venezuelan Sugarcane Producers Demand Reactivation of Río Turbio Sugar Mill

Sugarcane producers in Venezuela's Lara and Yaracuy states are urging the operational restart of the Central Río Turbio sugar mill, which has been technically paralyzed for months. The producers, united under the Society of Sugarcane Producers of Turbio (SOCATUR), have voiced strong support for recent judicial and ministerial decisions aimed at restoring the plant's functionality.

For these producers, the potential reactivation represents more than just administrative changes; it offers a lifeline to hundreds of families dependent on the agro-industrial sector. Egar Alvarado, president of SOCATUR, highlighted the appointment of new authorities as a "crucial and long-awaited step" to get the vital complex running again.

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We support the Ministry's measure for opening and reactivation, as we have retained sugars that could not be processed to honor our commitment to national supply.

The sector has acutely felt the impact of the mill's shutdown, with significant amounts of raw material remaining unprocessed. "We support the Ministry's measure for opening and reactivation, as we have retained sugars that could not be processed to honor our commitment to national supply," Alvarado stated. The producers are particularly focused on the upcoming 2026-2027 harvest season.

SOCATUR is extending an invitation to producers in the region to join this new administrative phase, which promises to operate under principles of efficiency, transparency, and open doors. The producers aim not only to rescue the sugar mill but also to prevent the broader sugar crisis from further impacting the nation's food security.

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crucial and long-awaited step