.jpg)
The first sugar crop for this year has started at several estates with the target set at 260,000 tonnes, but it is somewhat baffling how this figure was arrived at without targets being set for either of the two crops. One would have thought that the annual target would have been determined by the targets of the two crops for the year.
The unions in the sugar industry should therefore solicit an explanation from the management of GUYSUCO as to how they arrived at this figure, because it could have serious implications for workers’ incentives.
In addition, based on the performance of the sugar industry, the target of 260,000 tonnes may be a bit high because even last year a revised target of 231,000 tonnes was not achieved, falling short by some 18,000 tonnes.
However, be that as it may it would be extremely welcome if this target could be achieved because increased production is vital to the industry’s well-being and return to profitability. In this regard, the EU extension of guaranteed quotas to 2020 should impact positively on the health of the industry.
Perhaps GUYSUCO’s optimism with respect to the annual target has been raised by the fact that rehabilitation of the Skeldon Sugar Factory will see it reaching a 75% efficiency level which undoubtedly will significantly boost production.
The $100M punt dump at Enmore Estate is also another fillip to increased efficiency in production.
But an area of major concern seems to be the availability of canes and already the President of GAWU, Komal Chand, has expressed a degree of skepticism in this regard.
He revealed that the Skeldon factory is scheduled to operate for four weeks; Albion seven weeks; Rose Hall six weeks; Blairmont eight weeks; Enmore 10 weeks; Wales nine weeks, and Uitvlugt six weeks. He said this is an average of approximately seven weeks, while a first crop should normally run for about 12 weeks.
Chand cited the insufficient supply of sugar cane as the reason for such a short first crop; and he stressed that this is not encouraging for workers in the sugar industry.
He related that while last year’s production was affected by some rainfall, the main reason for the poor production was the limited amount of canes. He advised that some of this crop’s canes had to be reaped in order to boost production.
According to him, this was not a wise decision, because when canes are reaped before their ideal maturity, the sucrose content is less; hence, sugar cannot be produced to the full capacity of the cane. Nevertheless, Chand stated that private farming of sugar cane could help the industry by providing additional canes to factories.
Mr. Chand is correct and the management of GUYSUCO should pay serious attention to the issue of an adequate supply of canes because without this, then surely the target would be unachievable.
While it is true that the supply of canes would be augmented by private cane farmers, this will be more in the medium and long term because the rebirth of private cane farming has started only recently. Therefore it will take some time before production levels from this source reach sustainable levels.
The unions in the sugar industry should therefore solicit an explanation from the management of GUYSUCO as to how they arrived at this figure, because it could have serious implications for workers’ incentives.
In addition, based on the performance of the sugar industry, the target of 260,000 tonnes may be a bit high because even last year a revised target of 231,000 tonnes was not achieved, falling short by some 18,000 tonnes.
However, be that as it may it would be extremely welcome if this target could be achieved because increased production is vital to the industry’s well-being and return to profitability. In this regard, the EU extension of guaranteed quotas to 2020 should impact positively on the health of the industry.
Perhaps GUYSUCO’s optimism with respect to the annual target has been raised by the fact that rehabilitation of the Skeldon Sugar Factory will see it reaching a 75% efficiency level which undoubtedly will significantly boost production.
The $100M punt dump at Enmore Estate is also another fillip to increased efficiency in production.
But an area of major concern seems to be the availability of canes and already the President of GAWU, Komal Chand, has expressed a degree of skepticism in this regard.
He revealed that the Skeldon factory is scheduled to operate for four weeks; Albion seven weeks; Rose Hall six weeks; Blairmont eight weeks; Enmore 10 weeks; Wales nine weeks, and Uitvlugt six weeks. He said this is an average of approximately seven weeks, while a first crop should normally run for about 12 weeks.
Chand cited the insufficient supply of sugar cane as the reason for such a short first crop; and he stressed that this is not encouraging for workers in the sugar industry.
He related that while last year’s production was affected by some rainfall, the main reason for the poor production was the limited amount of canes. He advised that some of this crop’s canes had to be reaped in order to boost production.
According to him, this was not a wise decision, because when canes are reaped before their ideal maturity, the sucrose content is less; hence, sugar cannot be produced to the full capacity of the cane. Nevertheless, Chand stated that private farming of sugar cane could help the industry by providing additional canes to factories.
Mr. Chand is correct and the management of GUYSUCO should pay serious attention to the issue of an adequate supply of canes because without this, then surely the target would be unachievable.
While it is true that the supply of canes would be augmented by private cane farmers, this will be more in the medium and long term because the rebirth of private cane farming has started only recently. Therefore it will take some time before production levels from this source reach sustainable levels.
