THE second sugar crop has started with five factories in operation and the other three to become operational by next week.

This is according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Raj Singh,
“Rose Hall, Enmore, Wales, Blairmont and LBI (La Bonne Intention) are up and running.” “We expect Albion and Uitvlugt to be operational by Saturday. Skeldon will begin grinding next week,” he said.
The corporation’s operations cover several estates on the East Coast, West Coast and West Bank of Demerara and Berbice.
According to Singh, the weather conditions, a major variable that affects the industry’s production, has been fair over the last few weeks and the mechanical harvesters, in addition to the Bell loaders, have been put to use.
Singh also told the Guyana Chronicle that to date the labour force turnout is not what was expected, but expressed the hope that as the season picks up, so would the labour force turnout.
Labour is one of the other major factors, among several variables, which affect the industry’s production.
“There are several factors affecting production, but as it stands we are working hard to meet the industry’s target for 2014,” the CEO said.
Sugar production came in at a dismal 186,500 tonnes for 2013 but this year’s target has been set at 219,000 tonnes with the first crop production being about 80,000 tonnes, surpassing its 75,000 tonne target.
Guyana has been taking steps to turn around the sugar industry and hopes to meet the 300,000 tonne-target soon, with a projection that the sector will reach its 400,000-tonne goal by 2020.
Additionally, a $6B allocation, in the 2014 National Budget, for GuySuCo was approved by the National Assembly. The $6B is expected to cover expenditures that include mechanisation, through the conversion of 2,500 hectares of land to be suitable for mechanical operations, which will be done at a cost of $1.1B, tillage and replanting of 9,200 hectares, both efforts being consistent with improving cane production and yield, which will be done at a cost $1B, factory upgrading of all sugar estates, including Skeldon, at a cost of $2B and works to field infrastructure to improve field to factory access and purchasing of equipment, excavators, bell loaders, tractors, etc. to account for the remainder of the allocation.
Despite its challenges, the industry, according to Government, remains relevant to the health of the national economy. In 2013, sugar exports accounted for 8.3 per cent of total exports valued at US$112.2M and the industry contributed 3.9 per cent of the country’s GDP.

(Vanessa Narine)