…in first crop production
CONSTANT, heavy rainfall throughout the country over the last few months has caused the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to fall 30,000 tonnes behind its 101,000-tonne production target for the first crop. This disclosure was made by GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Bhim during an interview with the state media last week.
Bhim said that besides the weather, a combination of several factors, including management issues and poor turnout by harvesters, has led the sugar corporation to the stage it is presently in. However, steps are being taken to rectify the problems, so as to enhance productivity.
“Well, right now, we are about 30,000 tonnes sugar behind for the first crop. A combination of weather, some management issues, and also the harvesters who refuse to turn out has affected our harvesting for this first crop.” he said.
Since, most of the machines are not effective during the rainy season, works on the estates and at the factories have come to a halt.

Bhim admitted that while the various machines are incapable of working during the rainy season, the tasks could be completed manually. However, workers have become reliant on the machinery, and would in many cases refuse to undertake the job without the assistance of bell loaders.
“We have not been able to use the machinery to load cane, and also the mechanized harvesting has been tremendously affected by the weather… We rely on workers to actually come in and load cane, and I am afraid that the workers are reluctant to do that,” Bhim stated.
The CEO said that it would mean a lot to GuySuCo if workers would lend their much-needed support and efforts to the nation, and do everyone the kind favour of coming out to assist the company during its period of difficulty.

“In the rainy conditions that we have been having, it would be really nice if the workers could turn out and assist us in producing as much sugar as possible, with the limited time we have available, by coming to work and cutting the cane, and not only relying on the bell loaders.”
Further, Bhim stressed that the Skeldon sugar factory is a big worry, since the rains have impacted that area more than the other sites, and have caused work to cease completely.
Bhim said that workers have become very reliant on mechanized harvesting at Skeldon also. “We are quite reliant on mechanized harvesting at Skeldon, but the weather conditions also stopped us, and Skeldon has had more rain than any other part of the industry. And in fact, (since) mechanized harvesting wasn’t done, we are really struggling to take the cane out.”
He clarified that the management issues he had spoken of were not the reason for the strikes that occurred. However, strikes were related to the harvesting operations at some of the estates.

“We have had a few issues, particularily at a couple of locations, in terms of management of the harvesting operations; and that is what I mean by ‘management issues’. Most of all, we have been affected by the in-and-out rainfall. Normally, we would expect March to be a very dry month; normally, it is the driest month, but we had quite a large amount of rain.”
Additionally, he said, March month rains have created a major setback for the industry, since those rains were unexpected. According to him, March is known to be one of the driest months during production.
Turning his attention to the 2012 target, he noted that he was in no position to speak about that; but the industry remains quite optimistic with regard to achieving its target.
“I cannot say whether the company is optimistic about reaching its target, until the month of June. Target for the first crop is 101,000 tonnes of sugar, and we are looking to continue harvesting till the end of May, or as far as the weather would allow.”

Bhim said GUYSUCO presently employs 18,000 persons throughout its operations. He added that the industry indirectly provides employment for 130,000-135,000 persons who depend on it for a living.
“Right now, it employs about 18,000 people across the country from Skeldon to Uitvlugt; and if you multiply this, it is about 90,000 people. And in addition to that, we have our service industries around the sugar estates.”
Bhim has urged the cane farmers to come out and give their support to the people of Guyana through the production of sugar. “If we continue to have these wet conditions, we need the cane harvesters to come out and cut-and-load cane. If we can’t use the bell loaders, it will help us to produce sugar like we should.
“The last thing we would want to do is carry cane over from the first crop into the second crop.”