Plizio Visual Lab

Santa Cruz Sugarcane Fields

Plizio editorial teamUpdated: Jun 2026Data Sources

Agriculture

Weather…

Sugarcane cultivation in the Santa Cruz Department is one of Bolivia's oldest and most significant agricultural industries. The fields are primarily concentrated north of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in provinces such as Obispo Santistevan and Warnes. The subtropical climate provides the necessary heat and moisture for the massive sugarcane plantations, which form the raw material base for large sugar mills (ingenios) like Guabirá and Unagro. In addition to the production of table sugar, the importance of sugarcane has increased greatly through the manufacturing of anhydrous ethanol for biofuels. The harvest season, known as the 'zafra,' takes place between May and October and dictates the rhythm of the entire region. During this time, hundreds of trucks can be seen transporting the cut cane to the mills. The industry secures thousands of jobs and is a pillar of Bolivia's food sovereignty.

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg °C	27	26	26	26	23	23	23	25	28	29	28	27
Rain mm	174	166	121	93	78	67	34	38	45	92	116	152

📋 Practical info

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What is this place?

The vast estates in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia cultivate sugarcane on a massive scale, serving as a vital crop that robustly drives the entire regional agro-industry and local economy.

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Visiting

The extensive cultivation areas are primarily intended for industrial production and rarely offer guided tours, but they can be easily surveyed from the major connecting highways passing through.

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Where to view it

Travelers can best appreciate the impressive dimensions of the plantations from the main transportation routes, which stretch for kilometers through the flat and open landscape of Santa Cruz.

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Local products

At the spirited local markets in the Santa Cruz region, one can frequently find numerous sugarcane-based products, including molasses, unrefined raw sugar, and various traditional sweets.

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Active season

During the Bolivian harvest season, typically in the cooler and drier months, there is bustling activity with many heavy agricultural machines operating actively on and around the fields.

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Nearby

A journey through this massive agricultural region is an excellent starting point for expeditions into the Bolivian national parks, the Amazon rainforest, or the historic Jesuit missions.