Sugar Industry

Sugar comes from both sugarcane and sugarbeets; in the United States beets supply a little over half.

Both. Sugarcane is a tall perennial grass grown in tropical and semitropical climates, while sugarbeets are a sturdy crop grown in a wide variety of temperate climates and planted annually. The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that the United States is unusual among producing countries in having large and well-developed industries for both. Since the mid-2000s, sugarcane has accounted for between 40 and 45 percent of the sugar produced domestically and sugarbeets for between 55 and 60 percent. Each crop must be processed soon after harvest, before its sucrose deteriorates.