Legislators pass bill to shield sugar farmers from lawsuits For decades burning occurs from October through May each year and has been widely accepted as a necessary evil. Â Â Acres of sugar cane burn behind homes in Belle Glade. This is part of what is called "pre-harvest burning" to remove the outer leaves of cane stalks before harvesting. Updated 1 hour ago TALLAHASSEE â Persuaded by testimony from the leaders in the Glades agriculture community that sugar burning is not harming their residents, the Florida House on Thursday sent to the governor a bill that gives the agriculture industry protection from lawsuits related to long-term health damage.