– House approves $2B for GuySuCo’s capital contribution

WITH the aim of enhancing Guyana’s sugar productivity, the Rose Hall sugar estate has set a timeline to initiate the grinding of sugarcanes by the end of February.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, made this announcement during the parliamentary committee of Supply at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The House approved $2 billion for the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) capital contribution.

When asked if all the broilers are operable at the Rose Hall sugar estate, the minister responded in the affirmative.

“You will repair the broiler but during the course of grinding, you might find a leakage. And you will have to repair it and that will be a continuous process…All those repairs and arrangements are in process to be completed to commence grinding,” he said in the affirmative.

He also clarified that there are no defects at the sugar estate.

When asked about the expected grinding time per crop at the factory, Minister Mustapha said, “The grinding period, this year, for the first crop, will start from February and will end during the middle of May.”

Some 2,500 hectares of sugar cane at Rose Hall are available to be ground throughout the first crop.

As it pertains to the factories’ production targets in 2024, he highlighted the ministry was currently revising the factories’ targets.

He added that the information relating to the targets will be made available at the various factories.

Due to the closure of the sugar estate, Minister Mustapha informed the House that some $9 billion was expended to revive Rose Hall sugar estate to commence its operations and production.

In line with its 2020 manifesto’s commitment, Rose Hall sugar estate was officially reopened in September 2023.

A total of 1,031 metric tonnes of sugar was produced at the estate in 2023.

The industry was able to plant 52 per cent more land in 2023. This represents a total of 4,020 hectares as compared to 2,640 hectares in 2022.

In 2023, approximately 54 per cent of sugar production was marketed in bagged or packaged form, representing an increase from the previous year’s 48 per cent.