By 1850 the sugar industry accounted for four-fifths of all exports, and in 1860 Cuba produced nearly one-third of the world’s sugar. Most of Cuba's production is used directly for fresh consumption. By 2007, annual sugar production had decreased to 1.2 million tons. Like Cuba, sugarcane growing in Brazil dates back to the colonial period with several reports indicating that the first crop of sugarcane grown in Brazil's borders was planted in 1516. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Additionally, the loss of the United States as a trading partner introduced high transport costs and difficulties in communication as Cuba worked to orient itself towards the Soviet Union. Cuba has an excellent climate and a rich soil for growing sugar cane. Some 260,000 acres (1,100 km ) are planted with cassava. Of Cuba's $700 million imports, more than half included industrial parts, raw materials, and petroleum products - all goods that could not be obtained in Cuba. In the 19th century Cuba imported more than 600,000 African slaves, most of whom arrived after 1820, the date that Spain and Great Britain had agreed would mark the end of slave trading in the Spanish colonies. The boom collapsed shortly thereafter, however, and the banks took over the defaulting Cuban sugar producers. During the period 1838–80 the Cuban sugar industry became the most mechanized in the world, utilizing steam-powered mills (ingenios) and narrow-gauge railroads. In contrast, Cuba was a low-cost producer of sugar and in need of the products that the Soviet Union could produce cheaply, including oil and machinery. Because the needs of their country are great, their level of sugar consumption can increase considerably over what it is now, and sugar would cost much more to produce than it costs with us. For a while, sugar production in the country was unremarkable until the 18th century when Cuba became a world leader in the sugar industry. The sour relationship between the two countries resulted in the US stopping its investment in the Cuban sugar industry contributing to its decline. However, the agreements also prevented Cuba from selling sugar on the world market, where the price peaked at 66 cents per pound in November 1974. Whereas in 1987 Cuba was able to exchange one ton of sugar for 4.5 tons of Soviet oil, in 1992 it received only 1.8 tons of Russian oil per ton of sugar. [5], The cost of sugar production was much higher in the Soviet Union than it was in Cuba, and the growing Soviet consumption of sugar necessitated an alternative. Sugar is mainly grown within Brazil's southern and central regions which combined account for over 90% of the sugar produced in the country. Women of the upper classes did not work, but many attained high levels of general education. As a result, Cuba was forced to return to the primary production of sugar and depend on the Soviet Union as its major market. After Cuba gained its independence, the government increased its investment in the sugar industry leading to a farther increase in the quantity of sugar the nation produced. The Cuban revolution caused a severe decrease in the nation's sugar production as the government's position on some issues caused friction with the US. [8], Between 1991 and 1993, sugar production decreased from 7.1 million tons to 4.4 million tons as milling efficiency and crop yield declined. Part of the cassava is processed to sorbitol in a plant near Florida, Central Cuba. Sugar is a valuable commodity all over the world due to the sweet flavor it adds to food.