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Products and Processes: From sugarcane to sugar, Sugarcane as a plant -…
Products and Processes: From sugarcane to sugar
Natural Sciences
Growth and harvesting of sugarcane
Process of growing and harvesting sugarcane
1. Prepare the land: Clear the land of weeds and old plants, loosen the soil and add compost to improve it.
2. Prepare the soil: Test the soil to see which nutrients it needs. Add suitable fertiliser to help the sugarcane grow.
3. Choose the right type: Select a sugarcane variety that grows well in the area and can resist pests and diseases.
4. Plant the sugarcane: Cut healthy sugarcane stalks into smaller pieces with buds. Place them in shallow rows, cover them with soil and water them.
5. Look after the crop: Water the plants regularly, remove weeds, add fertiliser and check for pests and diseases.
6. Harvest the sugarcane: Sugarcane is usually ready to harvest after 12–18 months. The stalks are cut by hand or with machines and taken away for processing into sugar.( Langfos, 2025)
Class Activity:
I will give learners pictures of different stages of the process of growing and harvesting sugarcane and ask them to arrange it in order.
Reference list
"Saccharum officinarum L." Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2024, 14 December
Langfos, March 7, 2025
PMG Engineering, 2026
Good Universities Guide, 2025
Sugar.org, 2026
Social Siences
People involved in sugar production
Farmers and factory workers
Food production: Farmers grow crops, look after animals and produce food for people to eat.
Looking after the environment: Farmers take care of the land and use farming methods that protect nature, save resources and keep plants and animals safe.
A sugar processing worker weighs and measures ingredients, operates machines and checks the quality of the sugar before it is packaged. They make sure the machines work properly to extract juice from the sugarcane. They also clean the equipment and work areas, move products to storage or delivery areas, and package the finished products. (Good Universities Guide, 2025).
Class Activity:
I will set stations for the kids to role play the roles of factory workers and farmers and they will then swoop roles.
Sugar and its importance in our community
The sugar industry helps South Africa's economy and creates many jobs, especially in rural areas. It provides work for people in farming, factories and other parts of sugar production. Illovo Sugar supports these communities by creating job opportunities and helping people who live near its operations benefit from the business.
Class Activity:
Learners investigate everyday products containing sugar and identify how sugar is used.
Technology
Process of turning sugarcane into sugar
Harvesting: Sugarcane is cut from the fields and taken to a sugar mill.
Washing and crushing: The sugarcane is washed, chopped into small pieces and squeezed by large rollers to remove the juice.
Making raw sugar: The juice is cleaned, thickened and turned into sugar crystals.
Removing liquid: The crystals are spun in a machine to remove the extra liquid, leaving raw sugar.
Refining: The raw sugar is taken to a refinery to be cleaned further.
Filtering: The sugar is melted and filtered to remove dirt and other unwanted substances
.7. Crystallising: The cleaned sugar is turned into crystals again.
Drying: The sugar crystals are dried to remove moisture.
Packaging: The finished sugar is packed into bags and sent to shops and food factories. (Sugar.org, 2026)
Class Activity:
I will give learners pictures of different stages of the process of turning sugarcane into sugar and ask them to arrange it in order.
Machines used the the sugarcane proccess
Sugar Production Equipment
Sugar production uses different machines to turn sugarcane into sugar. These machines crush the sugarcane, remove the juice, clean it, heat it and turn it into sugar crystals. Some machines also dry and package the finished sugar.
The process starts by crushing the sugarcane to remove the juice. The juice is then cleaned to remove dirt and plant pieces. It is heated to remove extra water and becomes thick. Sugar crystals are formed, separated from the liquid and cleaned further at a refinery. Finally, the sugar is dried and packed into bags for shops and customers. (PMG Engineering, 2026)
Class Activity:
Learners match pictures of machinery to the stages in which they are used.
Sugarcane as a plant
What is sugarcane?
Sugarcane is a tall type of grass that is grown to make sugar. It has thick stalks that contain a natural sugar called sucrose. This sugar is taken from the stalks and used to produce the sugar that we use every day. Sugarcane can grow for several years and belongs to the same plant family as grass, maize, wheat, and rice. (Saccharum, 2024)
Class Actvity:
Learners examine a sugarcane stalk, observe its features and identify the material.
