The Consejo Estatal del Azúcar (CEA) will begin its harvest for 1997 in December. The announcement was made by CEA’s executive director Antonio Isa Conde, who said that the institution will have the government’s support. He also added that this harvest will start with seven working sugar mills available. He also mentioned that the CEA will end the 1997 sugar cane harvest with a RD$700 million deficit.