* Output at 1.6 million tonnes raw sugar; some mills still open
* Production falls short of forecast for 1.8 million tonnes
By Marc Frank
HAVANA, May 19 (Reuters) - This year's Cuban sugar harvest is all but over at 1.6 million tonnes, similar to the previous season but 200,000 tonnes short of the official forecast after unusually rainy and hot weather impeded production.
"Production topped the last harvest by 40,000 tonnes and various mills remain open to increase the volume," the National Information Agency reported on Sunday, citing a statement by the head of the Cuban sugar workers union, Jose Perez Perez.
"The president of the (state-run) sugar group, Orlando Garcia, made a similar statement in a letter sent to Santiago de Cuba," the information agency said.
Just five of the Caribbean island's 13 sugar-producing provinces have met their plans with heavy rainfall across the country putting in doubt any significant increase in output before the last mill closes.
The sugar harvest begins in December with the "winter" season and runs into May as the summer heat and rains begin. January through March are the key months as dry and cool weather usually increase yields, but not this year.
Unusually heavy rainfall and hot weather hampered the harvest from the start, adding to the habitual problems of a decapitalized industry, inputs arriving late, disorganization and the poor quality and slowness of repairs.
Cuban sugar plantations lack adequate drainage, making harvesting by machine difficult when it rains, and humid weather retards the production of sugar in cane.
The Sugar Ministry was closed three years ago and replaced by state-run holding company AZCUBA, with subsidiaries in each province.
AZCUBA reported output at between 1.5 and 1.6 million tonnes when the harvest ended last year, rounding the figure up to 1.6 million tonnes when the new season began.
The company hopes to reverse a long decline in output from 8 million tonnes in 1990, with plans to produce 2.4 million tonnes by 2015.
Only 8 of 56 mills in the country were built after the 1959 revolution, the last in the 1980s.
Cuba consumes between 600,000 and 700,000 tonnes of sugar a year and has an agreement to sell China 400,000 tonnes annually, with what remains sold to other countries.
Sugar was long Cuba's most important industry and export but today ranks seventh in foreign currency earnings, behind services, remittances, tourism, nickel, pharmaceuticals, and cigars. (Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Chizu Nomiyama)
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