By Rabindra Rooplall
THE Enmore Packaging Plant, which will be satisfying local demands, had a successful test run on Tuesday, producing some two tonnes of packaged sugar over a two-hour period.
While the Enmore Plant will be catering for local consumption of packaged sugar, the Blairmont Sugar Estate will focus on the overseas markets.
Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (ag), Sasenarine Singh, told the Guyana Chronicle that the international markets will include Trinidad and other Caribbean Islands as well as Suriname and Brazil.

Given the successful test run at the Enmore Packaging facility, he said GuySuCo will now to re-launch two packaging lines at the Enmore plant this Thursday.
The aim of this initiative, the acting CEO said, is to increase GuySuCo’s competitiveness by adding value to sugar and increasing its revenue stream.
“A distinct feature of today’s activity was trying to get more of our bulk sugar into packaged sugar where the difference in revenue per tonne is more than US$300,” Singh said.
On Tuesday, on site at the Enmore Packaging Plant, Singh witnessed the production of the first batch of packaged sugar. The company was able to package two tonnes of sugar over a two- hour period

“It was tested today (Tuesday) and will be tested again tomorrow (Wednesday) with the view of launching it very shortly. The company is in the process of engaging two consultants to work in the office of the CEO to craft the turnaround business strategy for the sugar company,” Singh told this publication.
The business consultancy is expected to provide options and analysis for GuySuCo over the next five years as the government is hoping to return the industry to profitability while it opens up the sugar estates closed by the APNU+AFC administration.

Singh said GuySuCo is looking to increase its revenue streams by moving up the value chain and cut out wastage by weeding out non-value added activities
“We are looking to produce more sugar from the three grinding estates and by 2022 there will be more grinding estates coming on board. We are looking for additional markets to push those sugars but not in bulk form, our vision is to push it in bag and packaged form,” the acting CEO said.
GuySuCo is also looking to buy the requisite parts to repair a third packing line at Enmore and the corporation’s capital budget will address the import of a fourth packing line for the plant.

“On average those packing lines would process about a tonne of packaged sugar per hour, which would be 32 tonnes per shift, so we are going to be moving to a two-shift system which means over 65 tonnes of sugar will be packaged at the Enmore plant within the next 12 months,” the CEO explained.
Today, the CEO and other senior GuySuCo officials will be conducting a tour of the packaging facilities at the Blairmont Estate.