.Industry Information ..Sugarcane Facts HISTORY OF SUGARCANE: Sugarcane probably originated on the South Pacific island of New Guinea. But more than 2000 years ago, a sticky sugar was made in India from sugarcane juice. Sugarcane cultivation spread quickly. Alexander the Great brought sugar to Europe following his retreat from India in 325 BC. Arabs spread sugarcane from Persia to the Mediterranean and developed early processing methods. Christopher Columbus introduced sugar to the New World in 1493 but it wasn't until 1689 that the first U.S. sugar refinery was established in New York City. Sugarcane was first successfully grown in the United States in Louisiana in 1751. The Sugar Source Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sugar But Didn't Know Who to Ask Copyright ©2000, C&H Sugar Legal Notices & Privacy Policy