– will aid in value-added sugar
POOR turnout by sugar workers, coupled with several week-long industrial actions by workers resulted in the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), being unable to reach its revised production target of 264,000 tonnes of sugar by the end of 2010. Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud pointed out that in 2009; GuySuCo recorded just over 2.7 million tonnes of cane in the field which would have given the corporation close to 235,000 tonnes of sugar. The Ministry has recorded for this year a 3 percent growth rate.
“This year for the first time we have more than we can take off with a recorded 3.2 million tonnes and based on the numbers that I have seen, GuySuCo would just be able to take off 2.5 million tonnes of cane,” he said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

This shortfall will see approximately 700,000 tonnes of sugar cane being rolled over in the first crop of 2011 which, according to the Agriculture Minister, is “not good” since the longer cane is kept in the field, the faster the quality deteriorates.

As of December 27, the corporation recorded a one percent turn-out. This, Minister Persaud said, is worrying since there are currently an abundance of the commodity and favourable weather but, yet a negative response.

The Board and Management of GuySuCo are currently looking at ways to encourage workers to resume their duties as well as implement mechanization. 
As it relates to performance of the various estates during the El Nino phenomenon, the Minister said it has been commendable.

“Recognising the trend in labour, GuySuCo will have to move swiftly in the area of mechanism. This has seen the corporation purchasing two harvesters and 36 tractors while looking at expanding the fleet of bell-loaders,” he said.
SKELDON SUGAR FACTORY

The state-of-the-art Skeldon sugar factory, according to statistics, has produced more sugar this year than 2009, compared to other estates.

However, as it relates to the defects that have been identified as a result of work done by the Chinese contractors, Minister Persaud pointed out that this will be completed by the first quarter of 2011.

“The damaged number one broiler should be up and running in time for the second crop next year, and a contract has been signed and the Chinese company will be fully funding these repairs,” he said.

ENMORE PACKAGING PLANT
As Government continues to invest in the sugar industry, to maintain its stability, to prevail, diversify and develop in spite of industrial actions by workers, price cuts and low yields, a $2.4B packaging facility is under construction.

The facility which will see value added sugar products being made available has a capacity to churn-out 40,000 tonnes of packaged sugar. It will be completed by March.

Another aspect of the project will be the restructuring within the factory to enable it to produce high grade sugar for packaging purposes, while larger acreages within the East Coast Demerara area will be brought under cultivation to ensure adequate cane supply.