–  urges EU to honour funding commitments
MINISTER of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud, says the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is willing to accommodate displaced Barbados sugar workers in, if not their fields of expertise in the sector, the several areas where vacancies exist. The minister was speaking at an impromptu press conference in his office on Monday last.
He said that an advertisement was placed to this effect in the local media inviting those displaced workers to visit various locations for possible job placements in the various estates. According to the Minister, GuySuCo has also been repeatedly placing vacancy advertisement for several categories of workers at the various estates. 
Minister Persaud noted that, although labour turnout is at about 60% of capacity, the 40% gap has been budgeted for, so the returning workers can fill that gap in a win-win situation.
On the issue of the EU Ambassador‘s remark that reaching an estimated 300,000 tonnes sugar target for 2011 may be a bit ambitious, the Minister said that he was given every assurance by GuySuCo that the targeted amount would be achieved, because the numbers set by that entity was based on a realistic assessment. He urged the European Union to fulfill the obligations that body made to this country, because Guyana “anticipates and expects that the EU would be flexible…in terms of funding for the Sugar Action Plan,” which he opined would be a productive input to assist the industry to move forward.
The minister explained that the carryover is about 40,000 tonnes. He is convinced that with all the problematic factors addressed in a holistic fashion, the production levels would drastically increase. He said the availability of canes is not an issue, but that the mechanics of transportation from field to factory needs to be enhanced. Also, workers’ issues need to be looked at; realities to which he says he expects that the EU is sensitive, especially with the recognition that the impact of the 36% price cuts are taking a severe toll, with a loss of an estimated $10 billion last year.
The minister suggested that the EU should be a constructive stakeholder and look at ways it could help the industry “and be much more flexible and not be so rigid in terms of the conditions that it associates and attaches to us (Guyana) getting the funding for the Sugar Action Plan, as was committedto by that body. (Parvati Persaud-Edwards)