FIVE of the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) eight estates have commenced grinding and to date the corporation has reported a production of 2,450 tonnes of sugar.“Uitvlugt, Wales, Blairmont, Rose Hall and Albion have started operations,” said GuySuCo’s Industrial Relations Head, Jairam Pitam.

GuySuCo operates eight estates, located at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara; Wales, West Bank Demerara; Enmore and La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara; Rose Hall, Albion and Skeldon on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice; and Blairmont, West Bank Berbice.
Pitam indicated that Enmore and La Bonne Intention are expected to commence operations within the week.
“The Skeldon estate is expected to start operations in the first week in March,” he said.
The production being targeted by GuySuCo for 2015 is some 240,000 tonnes.
In 2014, GuySuCo recorded a production of 216,147 tonnes – the first crop having surpassed the 75,000-tonne target, bringing in about 80,000 tonnes.
DROP IN SUGAR PRICES
The calamitous drop in sugar prices on the global and preferred market scene, which challenges all sugar industries, coupled with the dramatic fall in earnings and, by extension, cash flow; and the prevailing weather conditions were among several of the difficulties that affected the local sugar industry during 2014. The industry saw a dismal sugar production level in the past years, but Guyana has since been taking steps to turn around its sugar industry, and hopes to soon meet a 300,000-tonne target. There is also a projection that the sector would reach a 400,000-tonne goal by 2020.
“We are optimistic that the target will be met…harvesting and grinding are progressing well,” Pitam stated confidently.
GOOD WEATHER
Meanwhile, in the rice sector, the weather has been reported as helpful for the current rice crop.
Head of the Guyana Rice Producers’ Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj, said, “The crop looks good. It is going well. The weather is good.”
Of the rice producing regions, Seeraj noted that rice farmers in Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) are having minor challenges with irrigation.
“While the weather overall is good, Region 6 needs some rain, because there are a few challenges with irrigation, but systems are in place to ensure that the crop is not affected,” he said.
Some 62,159 acres in Region 6 are under cultivation. Altogether, some 238,698 acres are currently under cultivation across Guyana: 37,710 in Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam); 22,047 acres in Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara); 8,757 in Region 4 (Demerara/ Mahaica); 107,224 acres in Region 5 (Mahaica/ Berbice); and 800 acres in Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo).
The target for rice production is 618,000 tonnes. Last year was another record-breaking year for the rice industry. Production was recorded at 635,238 tonnes, of which 501,208 tonnes were exported. Production in the final crop of 2014 surpassed that of the first crop, which recorded just over 300,000 tonnes.
EXPORT AGREEMENTS
Additionally, the export target for 2015 has been set at 521,000 tonnes. Guyana currently has export agreements with several countries in the Caribbean as well as with Venezuela and Panama. He said arrangements to ship rice to countries in West Africa are still being finalised, but this was delayed by the Ebola epidemic. Also, given the continuous success of the rice industry, efforts are being made to secure a greater foothold in Nicaragua and other Central American countries, including Belize.
Together the rice and sugar sectors remain important to Guyana’s economy, considering their role in providing employment and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

(By Vanessa Narine)