Sugar Cane – Tightening Our Belts 2014 Palm Beach County Property Appraiser

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Organic Soils Rainfall detention is achieved through water table management across a farm. Without successful management on farm water tables this BMP would be impossible to implement without negatively affecting crop production and the profitability of the farming enterprise in the EAA. 3

Palm Beach County has 5 Sugarcane Belts. Delineation Is based on proximity to Lake Okeechobee, soil quality, temperature variations attributable to the warming influence of the lake, sugarcane tonnage production numbers and market value derived from sugarcane land sales.

Seed Cane Cutting Hand-cut whole stalk Machine-cut whole-stalk Explain billeted seed in more depth. Hand-cut whole stalk

Seed Cane Loading Whole stalk seed cane is loaded on wagons using a “Grab Loader”

Furrowing for Planting 3 or 5 furrows made in one pass GPS guided – auto-steering Furrows 4-6” deep

Fertilizing Before Planting Custom blended fertilizer Primary nutrients applied: P, K, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn, B, N – on sand Explain what a furrow is. Fertilizer can be Broadcast or Banded in the furrow

Hand Planting Sugarcane 8 or 9 person crews 4 droppers 4 choppers 15 – 20 acres/day 2 – 6 crews depending on size of operation 30 – 120 acres / day

Machine Planting Sugarcane I would move quickly through these slides because of time.

Covering Sugarcane After Planting You mentioned adding to much insectide that we need too

Sugarcane Cultivation Weeds controlled mechanically and chemically Herbicides used: Atrazine 2,4-D & dicamba Ametryne (Evik) Asulam Glyphosate (Roundup) Metribuzin (Sencor) Pendamethalin (Prowl) Mesotrione (Callisto) Mostly early post 2 applications Lay-by mid-May The students haven’t had any herbicide background so keep this very basic.

Weed Control Both aerial and ground applicators

Pre-harvest Sugarcane Burning Burn permits issued daily by zone More restrictions in easterly zones

Sugarcane Harvesting Do you cut by hand or is it 100% harvesting by hand? You can not transport sugarcane on the highway? Why?

Loading Cane Cane is loaded into trucks or rail cars via conveyor or dump wagons

Cane Receiving Each load is tracked from the field. Each trailer makes about 2 loads a day. Independent contractor hauling fleet. Each driver makes 7 – 10 loads per day Driver has electronic keycard for load tracking and fueling

Feeding the mill 3 minutes / load 24 hr operation

Cane Milling Cane is carried by conveyor through sets of knives Prepared cane is passed through sets of mills in a tandem Each mill presses cane with a force of about 2200psi

Cane Milling 6 – 7 mills in a milling tandem Water is added Cane is crushed repeatedly 98% of sucrose extracted

Juice Processing Sucrose content determined for payment Clarified by removing mud and fine fiber Juice quality is monitored Water evaporated off under vacuum

Sugar Sugar separated from molasses by centrifugation Trucked to warehouses until shipped to refineries Storage for up to a year without problems Shipped to refineries by ocean-going barge

2013 SUGAR CANE 10 YR FINAL AGRICULTURAL VALUES TAX YEAR – 2013 (CROP YEAR 2011-2012) SUGAR CANE AG VALUE BASED ON THE INCOME APPROACH PRODUCTION ANALYSIS 1 2 3 4 5 6 BELT # SAMPLE # GROSS TONS STANDARD QUALITY FACTOR NET TONS /ACRE NET STAND TONS/AC COMMENTS   (with trash) (less trash) =9% (4 x 5 = Col 6) ALL (12) 37.32 1.2223 33.96 41.51 Indication that Belt ALL (17) 37.98 1.2011 34.56 1 & Belt 2 are one. ALL (15) 34.50 1.2280 31.40 38.55 ALL (18) 28.55 1.2490 25.98 32.45 ALL (9) 24.08 1.1442 21.91 25.07 INCOME ANALYSIS 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 PRICE/ST TON SUGARCANE INC/AC MOLASSES INC/AC TOTAL INCOME PER ACRE EXPENSES/ GROSS TONS NET INCOME CAP RATE FINAL AG VALUE/AC $25.53x1.15 10 YEAR 1.24 @ $25.96 $29.36 (6 x 7 =Col 9) Col 5 x 1.24 (8+9= Col 10) 3 x exp=Col 11 10-11=Col 12 0.0600 12/13= 14 $1218.73 $42.11 $1,260.84 $968.83 $292.01 0.1235 $2,364 $42.85 $1,261.58 $985.96 $275.62 $2,232 $1132.12 $38.94 $1,171.06 $895.62 $275.44 $2,230 $952.73 $32.22 $984.95 $741.16 $243.79 $1,974 $736.06 $27.17 $763.23 $625.12 $138.11 $1,118

Sugar Cane – Tightening Our Belts 2014 Palm Beach County Property Appraiser

“River of Grass” Restoration In 2008, the SFWMD voted to accept a contract with US Sugar Corp. to acquire 187,000 acres of agricultural land for Everglades Restoration. The purpose is to store and treat water for the benefit of the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers. In 2010, SFWMD purchased 26,800 acres, including 10,000 acres of prime sugarcane acreage in PBC. Now they are selling 8,700 of the 10,000 acres to Florida Crystals. Clearly, the EAA acreage is at the mercy of the SFWMD.

A recent mining study prepared by the FL Dept A recent mining study prepared by the FL Dept. of Transportation shows the EAA as one of the prime areas in the state with potential for rock mining. As a result, during the past few years more than 20,000 acres have been approved for mining, in addition to three commercial rock mines that were approved prior to 2006. Currently, there is 1,592 acres already mined and 25,153.60 acres approved to excavate. The duration of mining is up to 75 years.

For more information contact Diane Pendleton – dpendleton@pbcgov.org