Why was sugarcane an exspensive crop to grow?

Sugarcane was an expensive crop to grow due to its high labor requirements, as it needed a significant workforce for planting, maintaining, and harvesting. The cultivation process also demanded extensive land, water, and investment in tools and equipment. Additionally, the need for processing facilities to convert raw cane into sugar further increased costs. These factors combined made sugarcane a resource-intensive crop, contributing to its expense.