El Salvador’s sugar industry expects a rebound in the 2025-2026 harvest, projecting 6.5 million tons of sugarcane to produce around 720,000 metric tons of sugar. This marks a recovery from last year’s 9 percent drop in production.
“The rainy season has been quite favorable for sugarcane, with a uniform distribution of rainfall, which allows us to be optimistic about the upcoming cycle,” said Julio César Arroyo, executive director of the Sugar Association of El Salvador (AAES).
Sugar exports remain a cornerstone of the economy, with El Salvador supplying over 20 destinations, including the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Preferential quotas allow for about 66,000 metric tons annually. “With this projection, we hope to recover what was lost last season and keep positioning El Salvador as a productivity leader in Central America,” Arroyo added.
The sector is also advancing mechanized green harvesting, covering nearly half of cultivated land, to reduce environmental impact and address labor shortages. At the VI Sugar Agroindustry Forum, Environment Minister Fernando López noted the country’s climate vulnerability, stressing efforts to adapt agriculture to extreme weather.
With stronger yields and sustainability measures, El Salvador aims to reinforce its role as a reliable sugar supplier in global markets.