CEO of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, Paul Bhim, says that the corporation has so far produced some 80,000 tonnes of a target of 130,000 tonnes for the first crop, with the chances of achieving this seemingly grim despite good weather. Bhim said the company would continue to grind until the end of May, in the hope of attaining close to the 130,000 tonnes for the first crop. However, he lamented that labour turnout was not at its strongest during the last few days and this is likely to take its toll on the first crop production.
Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle in an interview yesterday, the CEO said that every estate still has cane on the ground. “We are progressing with production, but the Easter weekend has slowed down [operations]. The turnout has been poor,” he said.
“We won’t be able to take all the canes off. The problem is getting the canes from the field to the factories,” Bhim said.
“We will keep pressing on as long as the weather holds. We will try to get as close as possible,” he said, adding that the corporation will have to make an early commencement of the second crop, as “we still have a lot of canes to take off.”
He said too that the company is appealing for workers to turn out to work and support the corporation as it seeks to make the most of the prevailing good weather and the time left in the first crop.
Bhim said that while the corporation is hoping to work until the end of May to complete the first crop, there would no doubt be canes carried over to the second crop, which will most likely commence in early July, instead of the originally timetabled end of July.
Bhim noted that the good weather experienced over the past weeks has been a boon to tillage and land preparation for next year’s first crop. According to Bhim, the land conversion exercises – aimed towards mechanised crop harvesting – are being made easier because of the current good weather.