Reunion Island: Over 6 million euros paid to sugarcane growers for the 2025-2026 season

The State has released more than 6 million euros in support of sugar cane growers in Reunion Island as part of the 2025-2026 campaign. This financial aid, called "aid per tonne of cane delivered", aims to support a sector essential to the Reunion Island economy and to compensate for the structural constraints faced by the island's producers.

According to the prefecture, an initial payment of €6,19 million was disbursed on May 29 to eligible farmers. The scheme is usually based on the tonnage of sugarcane actually delivered during the harvest season. However, a specific measure was implemented for farms affected by Cyclone Garance, allowing some farmers to benefit from a calculation based on their historical production.

Support for a strategic sector

The sugarcane industry remains one of the main pillars of agriculture in Réunion. It represents several thousand direct and indirect jobs and makes a significant contribution to the economic activity of many rural communities on the island. Faced with unpredictable weather, high production costs, and international competition, public subsidies play a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability of farms.

State services emphasize that this funding is specifically intended to compensate for the disadvantages related to the island's insularity, terrain, and operational constraints. A second payment is already planned for the coming days for applications still requiring further verification or expert assessment.

Ongoing challenges for producers

This aid comes amid the aftermath of Cyclone Garance, which affected several farms on the island. Farmers hope this support will help mitigate some of their losses while they prepare for future harvests.

Beyond this one-off assistance, representatives of the sector continue to advocate for sustainable support in order to guarantee the competitiveness of Réunion's production in the face of developments in the global sugar market and the climate challenges that are increasingly weighing on overseas agriculture.