MINISTER of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, has revealed that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) is producing exceptionally well since they are now experiencing the first protracted dry season since 2010.

According to the minister, the corporation has recorded a production of 52,000 tonnes of sugar so far for this crop as of the end of last week. He compared this figure with the first crop, which recorded 71,000 tonnes overall.
Dr. Ramsammy said they are hoping that this crop will exceed 160,000 tonnes, which would make it a very successful one.
“With this kind of weather, we are not just confident, we are almost certain that we will achieve in excess of 160,000 tonnes of sugar,” he said.
He said that most sugar estates countrywide are meeting their targets and because of this workers are earning an extra day’s pay on their wages.
Dr. Ramsammy also noted that the Skeldon Factory is now performing at a level that it had not achieved since its commissioning, adding that it is achieving its production target even without the remedial work being completed.
South African firm Bosch has been contracted to modify the Skeldon Factory to fix problems it has been experiencing. However, although Bosch has started working on designs of the modifications, physical work on the factory will not begin until the end of this crop.
According to Dr. Ramsammy, the reason the factory is performing so well despite its challenges is because it is the first time since its commissioning that it has been working with favourable weather conditions, noting that a lot of the problems at Skeldon and the rest of the industry were related to the weather.
He  said that the management of GUYSUCO has assured him that once the dry weather continues towards the end of the year, they have sufficient cane to continue operations of the estates until mid-December. The minister is optimistic that once the weather persists, GUYSUCO will be able to produce in excess of 170,000 tonnes of sugar for this crop.