Originating in New Guinea and introduced to the island in the 17th century, sugar cane is a hardy plant belonging to the gramineae family that can grow to heights of five metres and is now the main crop on Réunion. Mainly grown in the eastern part of the island, its harvest spans several months, from July to December. Primarily used for the production of brown sugar and cane juice rum, sugar cane is also used to feed animals or produce electrical energy.
The last active sugar factories on the island, the Le Gol sugar factory in Saint-Louis and the Bois Rouge sugar factory in Saint-André can be visited during the sugar harvest period from July to December. You will learn all there is to know about the sugar manufacturing process, from receipt of the cane to sugar crystallisation, through grinding and evaporation. And to find out more about the history of sugar cane cultivation and the sugar industry on the island, head for the very interesting Stella Matutina museum, based in an old sugar factory in the heights of Saint-Leu.