–workers, residents rejoice as Rose Hall Estate returns hope to communities with historic re-opening

FIVE years ago, a community was plunged into despair and thousands were left jobless when the former APNU+AFC government closed down the Rose Hall Sugar Estate in East Canje, Berbice.

But today marks a significant milestone as, under the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), the estate is back in operation and grinding has commenced.

There is a sense of renewed hope among residents and the sugar workers who were rehired as first sugar is expected on September 19. Leading up to this day was no easy feat but the burning of the cane fields on September 14 lit a new leaf of life for the many residents and employees.

Baywattie Sukhdeo, 48, a Fitter Machinist by profession and a resident of Rose Hall, was employed for 27 years by the estate before her services were terminated in 2017 by the David Granger-led administration, directly impacting her life and that of hundreds of other workers and essentially plunging the Canje/New Amsterdam area in a state of despair.

The closure cast a dark shadow over the entire community; the estate had been the lifeblood for Canje and neighbouring villages, providing livelihoods to generations of families. Forced to seek alterative employment, she made wreaths and sold them to make ends meet until 2021 when she was among the first to be re-employed.

“When I got my redundance letter, it was like a scatter bullet in me because we didn’t expect something like this; it was miserable, the light just dim from then, the whole brightness of life in Rose Hall and it wasn’t for me alone it was for everyone and it was painful,” Sukhdeo told the Sunday Chronicle.

Now, being at the forefront of this groundbreaking moment, she expressed joy that the estate is back in operation.

On Friday and Saturday, the once dormant estate trucks made stops to pick up workers and took them to the fields where both machines and manual harvesting took place. Punts were filled and drawn by tractors along the various canals to make their way to the factory.

The once dilapidated factory now beams with a fresh coat of paint and rehabilitated components received the canes and placed them in the hoppers, much to the delight of the workers especially the youths that are employed for the first time.

Fantasia David, 24, of Edinburgh, a first time employee as a Cane Weigher, received training upon employment and beamed with excitement amidst the bustle of activities.

“It’s very exciting to see the process firsthand and to see how the estate has transformed to be producing. I can’t wait to see how the cane is transformed into sugar and see that first batch on Tuesday,” David told this newspaper.

For many of the workers who lost their jobs in 2017, the re-opening is much more than just a pay check; it means stability, job security, dignity and the ability to earn and care for their families.

Terrence Forde, 54, a cane harvester, credits everything that he achieved in his life to the estate and he has returned to continue to build until he can retire.

“It was rough, stressful because it was the estate that I worked 20 years with and all I had earned and achieved was through the estate and then everything get stagnated. I started doing some hire car work, but then I gave someone my car to work and came back to the estate because it’s a steady income.”

He is encouraging others to seek employment at the estate.

“It isn’t hard no mo’, cause you ain gotta fetch cane, we move away from that, you cutting and drop and the loader loading and you get more time, you could go home and do something, all like now I sorry I give somebody me car to work cause I could ah go home now and still do a second job, look is only 09:30 hrs and I done work already,” Forde said.

On Saturday, an interfaith service was organised by the workers and the management of the estate to give thanks for the successful operations thus far. Prayers and positive messages were shared by the management and staff alike with many expressing gratitude to the PPP/C government for honouring their promise to re-open the estate.

State of readiness

Meanwhile, in an invited comment, Vijay Goberdhan, the Estate Manager, said that the factory was in a state of readiness and they have a target of 5,165 tonnes of sugar from 63,000 tonnes of cane. He noted that that amount was small since planting of canes only resumed in 2021 and it typically takes five years for a continuous supply to be established.

He is optimistic that by the second crop of next year, there will be enough canes to have the factory operate longer hours and produce more.

“The factory has the capability to grind up to 110 tonnes of cane per hour and can go continuously for 130 hours per week. The magnitude of production is dependent on the amount of cane available to crush. Hence the focus is on getting more cane available.”

Being at the helm to restore the estate to its former glory days, Goberdhan lamented that unless you are part of the community it would be difficult to fully comprehend what the opening of the factory means.

“The estate means different things for everyone. For some it is simply a place where they cane earn until they move forward to something different but, for the majority of the workers, it’s a place of employment, steady employment, a place of earnings to feed themselves and their families but, more importantly for them, it’s the continuation of a family legacy where their predecessors have worked to build and establish themselves and the prospect of Rose Hall expanding means continuation for their children and future generations.”

He added, “It is very good for the people in the surrounding community since they were in a terrible situation financially. Having been here from 2020 to now and seeing the transformation from lack of income, stagnation of their lives in all forms, having to grapple for jobs just to get a little income and overall just struggling to survive and now seeing new life injected into the economy, the smiles on the faces of the people and overall excitement, this reopening and resumption of activities means more to the people than GuySuCo itself.”

From starting with a skeleton staff of 104 people in 2020 to now 1,083 employed, the estate is encouraging persons to come and grow with them as they look to fill a vacancy of 990 mainly in the agriculture department.

On Tuesday, the first granules of sugar are expected to be produced as grinding commences today and the crystallization process will take place over the next two days.