Sugarcane grower, Alejandro Benitez, stands next to a ready-to-cut cane field...READ ON
Sugarcane grower, Alejandro Benitez, stands next to a ready-to-cut cane field waiting for the field workers to arrive. Sugarcane growers and plantation owners need help from a full team that includes various worker groups to harvest the crop grown in a year. Galvan, Veracruz, Mexico. November 22, 2021. (Photo by Karem Rodriguez)
Sugarcane worker, the “burner”, prepares to start the night fire...READ ON
Sugarcane worker, the “burner”, prepares to start the night fire that burns the cane field before the harvest. Sugarcane burning is a practice that helps to get rid of dried leaves that accumulate around the base of the cane and make the harvest process simpler for the “cutters”, workers who cut the cane by hand using a machete. Galvan, Veracruz, Mexico. November 21, 2021. (Photo by Karem Rodriguez)
Sugarcane worker, the “burner”, walks around the cane field to...READ ON
Sugarcane worker, the “burner”, walks around the cane field to make sure the fire doesn’t extinguish. Sugarcane burning is a practice that helps to get rid of dried leaves that accumulate around the base of the cane and make the harvest process simpler for “the cutters”, workers who cut the cane by hand using a machete. Galvan, Veracruz, Mexico. November 21, 2021. (Photo by Karem Rodriguez)
Sugarcane workers, “the cutters”, arrive at the field to cut the...READ ON
Sugarcane workers, “the cutters”, arrive at the field to cut the recently burned cane. “The cutters” harvest the sugarcane by hand using a machete. Each worker carries a 5 liters water container for drinking during the day. Salmoral, Veracruz, Mexico. November 22, 2021. (Photo by Karem Rodriguez)
“The cutters”, field workers, harvest the recently burned cane by...READ ON
“The cutters”, field workers, harvest the recently burned cane by cutting low with a machete and stack the stalks in bundles as they work their way down the rows. Cane cutters are paid weekly by the bundles of cane stalks they accumulate by day. Galvan, Veracruz, Mexico. November 23, 2021. (Photo by Karem Rodriguez)
Ramon Sosa, known as The Hawk, uses a machete to cut the sugarcane’s...READ ON
Ramon Sosa, known as The Hawk, uses a machete to cut the sugarcane’s stalks. Sosa has been involved in the sugarcane harvest for 30 years. Cane cutters are paid weekly by the bundles of cane stalks they accumulate by day. Salmoral, Veracruz, Mexico. November 22, 2021. (Photo by Karem Rodriguez)
David Sanchez, 22, checks his phone during a shift break. Sanchez joined his...READ ON
David Sanchez, 22, checks his phone during a shift break. Sanchez joined his father to work during the cane harvest season for the first time when he was 17 years old. “This time I came because I was visiting my dad for the holidays and he was coming to cut, I work in a factory the rest of the year but I like seeing my friends here too”, Sanchez mentioned. Cane cutters arrive from different parts of Veracruz State and join a group to work a short period or the full harvest season. Salmoral, Veracruz, Mexico. November 22, 2021. (Photo by Karem Rodriguez)
Sugarcane grower and plantation owner, Alejandro Benitez (right), talks with...READ ON
Sugarcane grower and plantation owner, Alejandro Benitez (right), talks with harvest group supervisor, Eder Gomez (left), at the sugarcane field recently burned and in the process of being cut. Each harvest group has a supervisor who coordinates each squad needed for the harvest: the burners, the cutters, and the loaders including the stacker and the truck driver. Galvan, Veracruz, Mexico. November 23, 2021. (Karem Rodriguez)
Manuel Reyes, “the stacker”, works on the top of the truck...READ ON
Manuel Reyes, “the stacker”, works on the top of the truck arranging the cane stalks being loaded by a grappling machine. A haul vehicle can hold approximately 25 tons of cut cane to be transferred to the sugarcane mill. Galvan, Veracruz, Mexico. November 23, 2021. (Karem Rodriguez)
The grappling machine operator, Rafael, loads the truck with bundles of cut...READ ON
The grappling machine operator, Rafael, loads the truck with bundles of cut sugarcane, while “the stacker”, Manuel Reyes, arranges the cane stalks on the top of the truck to load as much as possible. A haul vehicle can hold approximately 25 tons of cut cane to be transferred to the sugarcane mill. Galvan, Veracruz, Mexico. November 23, 2021. (Karem Rodriguez)
Trucks loaded with harvested sugarcane line up to enter the mill, also known...READ ON
Trucks loaded with harvested sugarcane line up to enter the mill, also known as “Ingenio”. This factory processes sugarcane to produce raw, brown or white sugar. There are 22 sugarcane mills in the State of Veracruz, Mexico, representing 40% of the national production of sugar. Cardel, Veracruz, Mexico. November 30, 2021. (Photo by Karem Rodriguez)
Karem Rodriguez
Karem Rodriguez is a bilingual visual storyteller hailing from Mexico, who discovered her passion for narrative photography upon moving to San Francisco, USA.