PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has issued a stern warning to the management of Guyana’s sugar estates, making it clear that underperformance will no longer be tolerated as the industry moves into 2026.
In a post on his official Facebook page on Saturday, the President disclosed that he met earlier in the day with the Board of Directors and senior management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), during which he expressed dissatisfaction with the estates’ failure to achieve their 2025 production targets.
He advised management that every estate will be held accountable and that, beginning with the first crop of 2026, estates that fail to meet their targets “will see changes.”
Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of the Public Service, Government Efficiency, and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally and GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Paul Cheong were also at the meeting.
The warning comes against the backdrop of another disappointing year for GuySuCo. According to media reports, the corporation closed 2025 with production of approximately 59,200 metric tonnes of sugar, falling short of even its already reduced final-crop target of 60,000 metric tonnes.
That figure is also significantly below the revised 2025 target of 70,000 metric tonnes and far off the original target of 80,000 metric tonnes.
President Ali had signalled this tougher, results-driven posture as recently as November last year, cautioning that entrenched mismanagement within GuySuCo must be eliminated if the industry is to return to sustainable production levels.
Speaking at a press conference in Region Six, he stressed that while sugar remains vital to the regional economy, continued state investment cannot be divorced from performance.
“Sugar is an important part of the economy here in Region Six, and we’re going to continue to invest, but we have to get the return on our investment,” the President said.
He underscored the importance of boosting output at key estates, noting specifically that increased production at Albion and Rosehall is essential to the industry’s recovery.
As part of the broader effort to revitalise the sector, President Ali revealed that international technical support will be brought in to strengthen operations and improve efficiency across the estates.
He also indicated that the government intends to deepen engagement with private cane farmers as part of a more inclusive and performance-oriented approach to rebuilding the sugar industry.
