GUYANA Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is in the process of finalising the target for the year’s first crop, according to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Paul Bhim.He told the Guyana Chronicle that the company is completing preparatory works at the factories and employees are expected to begin working, once these efforts have been completed, before the end of the month.
The CEO said, too, that, currently, during the off-grinding season, three of the estates have their entire workforce on one week leave, while only part of them are on similar leave on the other four estates.
Some of the sugar workers are expected to turn out at the end of the month and others in the third week of February.
Other ongoing works, prior to the commencement of grinding operations, include cleaning of canals, fertilising and chemical weed control.
Heavy rains earlier this month had halted land preparation efforts across the industry but Bhim reported that these works have resumed.
Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy told the Guyana Chronicle that a new industry target is possible and emphasised that GuySuCo needs a good year to support the turnaround of the industry.
In a previous interview, he had speculated that a possible target for 2014 is 230,000 tonnes.
Written By Vanessa Narine