GUYANA Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has reported that prevailing good weather, general improvements in agriculture and factory efficiencies have enabled the industry to produce 10,013 tonnes of sugar at the conclusion of the sixth week of grinding.

The accomplishment was despite industrial action at Wales Estate, West Bank Demerara and poor workers turnout at La Bonne Intention (LBI) Estate, East Coast Demerara.

The strike at Wales ended last Friday, after Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and GuySuCo agreed to pay $383 per bed for the clearance of obstacles (grass, bushes and vines) in the field.

GuySuCo had, initially, proposed payment of $360 for the additional task but the union was demanding $400.

GAWU President, Mr. Komal Chand told the Guyana Chronicle the compromise was reached at a meeting of senior GuySuCo officials and union representatives at that estate.

GuySuCo also credited the sixth week achievement to the improvement in workers attendance and greater focus by estate managers on improving their working conditions.

Before the sixth week, GuySuCo production had passed 10,000 tonnes in the fifth week of grinding.

The recently commissioned state-of-the-art factory at Skeldon, Corentyne, Berbice, produced 1,700 tonnes, which was the highest weekly production when compared to the other estates.

Workers at that factory also received their first day’s pay for this crop under the weekly Production Incentive Scheme, GuySuCo said.

SURPASSED
In addition to Skeldon, the other three estates in Berbice surpassed their weekly targets, resulting in their workers being eligible for an extra tax–free day’s pay.

However, the 1,100 tonnes recorded last week at Enmore, also on East Coast Demerara, was 50 tonnes short of the target, due to factory downtime of 22 hours and a strike by some workers.

During the standoff between the workers and management, 13 hectares of cane on that estate were mysteriously set afire last Monday night.

Chand told the Guyana Chronicle he presumed that the cane, with a productive capacity of about 60 tonnes of sugar, would have already been harvested and taken to the mill to be ground.

The current crop is expected to produce much more than the targeted 160,000 tonnes.

Rain had caused a delay in the commencement of grinding but GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Errol Hanoman is optimistic that this setback would not have any major impact on production.

GuySuCo had reported that heavy rainfall, between January and March, resulted in a production shortfall of 6,000 tonnes for the first crop this year.

But Hanoman said, although the 6,000 tonnes less meant GuySuCo was only able to produce 83,000 tonnes in the first crop, there is strong optimism that the steady efforts of his management team will lead to higher productivity in the months ahead.

Last year, the high level of rainfall affected worker turnout, caused damage to crops and, along with strikes, affected the completion of the field programme, resulting in an annual production of 226,268 tonnes, in comparison to the 226,482 tonnes produced the previous year.