One of Argentina’s biggest sugar mills finished its 2026 zafra, the sugar harvest and milling season, on Saturday 7 November 2026, after 165 days of work. Ledesma, an agro-industrial group based in Jujuy, a province in north-west Argentina, has shares that trade in Buenos Aires, and its harvest matters to anyone following Argentine sugar and ethanol fuel supply.
Key Facts
- Season The 118th zafra ran 165 days, from 27 May to Saturday 7 November 2026.
- Yield Sugar output per hectare ranked among the company’s best in five years.
- Targets Set in May: 3.43 million tonnes of cane, 313,000 tonnes of sugar, 110,000 cubic metres of ethanol alcohol.
- Rain Rain slowed mills in Tucumán province in October; Salta and Jujuy held pace.
- Power Index Argentina ranks 4th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 60.2 points (November 2026 edition).
How the Season Went
Grinding began on 27 May 2026, the 118th zafra in the history of Ledesma, and ended on Saturday 7 November 2026. The company said the campaign finished on schedule after 165 days of activity.
Heavy rain at the start of the harvest made work hard in the fields. The company said it met its plan despite the rain.
The company said sugar output per hectare was positive and placed the campaign among its best of the last five years on that measure. It credited more cane available and a better yield from the raw material.
The 2025 season lasted 160 days and ground more than 3 million tonnes of cane, the company said. This year’s season was therefore five days longer.
In its release of 27 May 2026, Ledesma projected grinding about 3,430,000 tonnes of cane. It aimed for about 313,000 tonnes of sugar and about 110,000 cubic metres of alcohol.
The company announced the end of the season in a statement. It gave no final totals for cane, sugar or alcohol in that statement.
Why Rain Is the Risk
Cane has to be cut and crushed quickly, so wet fields and muddy roads can slow a mill almost as much as a breakdown. That is why the heavy rain at the start of the Ledesma harvest mattered.
In Tucumán province, to the south, rain in the season, mainly in October, slowed grinding and forced some mills to stop temporarily. Mills in Salta and Jujuy kept a pace similar to the previous campaign.
The contrast shows how local weather can shape a harvest even within the NOA, the north-west of Argentina. Mills only a short distance apart can face very different conditions in the same month.
Looking ahead, Ledesma plans better irrigation management tied to weather and improved localised fertilisation for the next harvest. The company did not say how many days of grinding the rain cost it.
In Plain English
- Zafra The sugar harvest and milling season, when cane is cut and crushed.
- Ledesma An Argentine agro-industrial group that makes sugar and alcohol, based in Jujuy.
- Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán Three provinces in the NOA, the north-west of Argentina.
- Alcohol Ethanol made from cane, measured here in cubic metres.
What Is Not Known
The final tonnes of cane ground and sugar produced have not been published. The numbers given in May were projections, not results.
Ledesma said it will publish campaign data in the coming days. We have no tonnage figures for Tucumán either.
What It Means for You
A season that ended on schedule is a reassuring sign for the supply of Argentine sugar and ethanol fuel from one large producer. The real volumes, however, remain unconfirmed until the company reports them.
Anyone holding or watching Ledesma shares should wait for the published campaign data before drawing conclusions. This report makes no claim about profit or share price.
Weather is the variable to follow into the next season, since rain split the fortunes of neighbouring provinces this year. More of our Argentina coverage follows on the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Ledesma finish its 2026 harvest?
Ledesma ended its 2026 zafra, its 118th, on Saturday 7 November 2026 after 165 days of activity. The company said the campaign ended on schedule.
How much sugar did Ledesma produce in 2026?
Final figures are not yet published. At the start of the season it projected about 313,000 tonnes of sugar, and it said campaign data will follow in the coming days.
Did rain hurt the 2026 harvest in north-west Argentina?
Heavy rain at the start made work hard for Ledesma, and October rain slowed mills in Tucumán. Mills in Salta and Jujuy kept a pace similar to the previous campaign.
Sources: Ledesma S.A.A.I. company statement on the end of the 2026 zafra, and its 27 May 2026 start-of-season release (ledesma.com.ar/sala-de-prensa).
In depth
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error