Praia, Nov. 21, 2024 (Lusa) - The sugar cane harvest, which starts in January, promises to be abundant for the production of grog, a traditional alcoholic drink and one of Cabo Verde's iconic products, producer representatives told Lusa on Thursday.
"The outlook is good" because the rainy season saw above-average levels of precipitation, said Vanderley Rocha, a representative of the producers of the raw material on the island of Santo Antão, which is home to most of the fields and stills.
"Production is expected to increase considerably because the plant is developing better," he said, standing next to one of the fields.
"We're getting ready to start cutting and producing in January. I don't know if the quality will be better, but I can already say that the quantity will be," he added, also pointing out that with the presence of tourists on the island, grog sales are increasing considerably.
Grog comes from the fermentation of sugar cane and some compare it to brandy or cachaça.
Vanderley Rocha said that the production of the typical drink faces challenges, namely the decline in domestic consumption.
"With the rise in food prices, people have prioritised other needs and cut back on grog, which is not considered a basic necessity," explained Rocha, adding that since the pandemic this decline has been noticeable.
The producers' representative also advocated adjustments to the legislation that regulates the sugar cane harvest, suggesting that, due to the tendency for it to mature earlier, the cutting schedule should be brought forward to December.
But on the island of Santiago, producer Manuel Mendonça prefers to harvest cane ‘from February onwards’, the month of ideal ripeness on the land in the district of São Domingos, a few minutes from the capital, Praia.
"To make a good grog, everything depends on the quality of the cane: it has to be ripe," he said, indicating that he expects "production to increase next year".
With good production, he also hopes that sales will go well among tourists and emigrants, the traditional buyers.
"They buy to take away. In the summer there are more emigrants, but tourists arrive every day," he said.
Cabo Verde has 388 stills for the production of grog, with more than a quarter (99) located in the district of Ribeira Grande, in Santo Antão, according to data from the General Inspection of Economic Activities (IGAE).
A law passed in 2015 began to regulate production and commercialisation with obligations linked to hygiene, environmental protection, promotion of public health, consumer and producer rights.
Data from 2017 from the General Inspection of Economic Activities (IGAE) pointed to a production of 1.7 million litres in certified units.
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