Mike Comb

Producing Excellence Partner
Mike Comb
Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooper ative
Location: St. Martinville, LA » Type of Operation: Sugar mill »
Size of Operation: 1.1 million tons » Years in Business: 39
Farm Credit Partner: Louisiana Land Bank » Years Working with Farm Credit: 1
Americans consume almost 80 pounds of sugar
paid based on that measurement along with the
each year. More than one million tons of that
number of tons delivered, and at LaSuCa, the
comes from the Louisiana Sugar Cane Corporation
growers also receive a liquidation payment at the
(LaSuCa), a cooperative sugar mill that processes
end of the season. “We weigh the cane coming in
cane supplied by its 40 member-growers.
and the sugar going out,” says Mike. “We account
Turning the sugar cane plant into crystallized
sugar is an equipment intensive, labor intensive
and organization intensive process, in part due
to one critical aspect of the cane: it needs to be
processed within 24 hours of being harvested, and
for every pound of sugar, and we make sure we
pay the grower for every pound of sugar they
delivered.” As a cooperative, growers also share in
the profits LaSuCa earns from the refineries that
buy their raw sugar.
harvest lasts just from late September through
Once the cane is received, it’s chopped and
early January. “We can’t start harvesting earlier
pressed to extract the cane juice. The juice is
because the sugar content isn’t developed,” says
then cooked down to make a syrup, which is
Mike Comb, general manager at LaSuCa since 2003
crystallized to make the sugar. LaSuCa runs 24/7
and himself a former grower. “And we have to be
when it’s processing, which is demanding work for
finished before any killer freezes that will split the
its employees. “Working in a sugar mill is not easy
stalk and ruin it in the field.”
work,” says Mike. “Some of our employees work 12
This makes for an intense three-month processing
hour shifts, and can go 110 days without a day off.”
season. The mill takes in up to 12,000 tons of cane
Technology improvements help make the process
a day, aiming to have some cane from each of its
more efficient. “We’re able to process more cane
grower-members every day of the season. “We try
with the same amount of equipment, and to
to get every farm to start on the first day and finish
extract more sugar from the cane than even 20
on the last to make sure everyone has an equal
years ago,” says Mike. Some of that technology
opportunity to get their harvest in in time,” he says.
is financed by Louisiana Land Bank, one of
Also, since growers are paid based on the amount
LaSuCa’s Farm Credit partners. “Sugar is a unique
of sugar content in their cane, and cane harvested
commodity, and they understand it. They know
earlier has less sugar, this approach gives growers
the industry has good times and bad, and they’ve
an equitable opportunity for income.
stuck with us through all of those.”
Measuring that sugar content is one step in the
milling process, and LaSuCa sample tests 90 –
95% of every load that comes in. The grower is