FOR too long, Guyana’s sugar industry has been caught in political games, economic doubt, and early obituaries.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha’s strong defence of the government’s five-year plan for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) deserves recognition not just as a political move, but also as a solid plan for an industry that can and must recover.
The facts are clear. Sugar production rose to over 59,000 tonnes in 2025, up from just over 47,100 tonnes the year before, marking an increase of about 25 percent. This shows that production is on the rise, not falling.
Over 41 percent of GuySuCo’s cane cultivation is now mechanised, the highest level in the corporation’s history, with 113,000 tonnes of cane harvested by machine. These achievements do not indicate an industry in decline; they show the early benefits of consistent investment.
The five-year plan aims for complete mechanisation of planting and harvesting. It includes buying billet cutters, planters, and more harvesters, as well as converting over 3,000 hectares of land for machine operations in 2026 alone.
Factory upgrades will include new sugar boilers at several estates, new conveyor systems at Albion, and improved dryers at Rose Hall and Uitvlugt.
These improvements will address processing issues that have hurt efficiency for years. Backed by a $13.4 billion budget, this is a significant investment that will drive the industry forward.
Critics may highlight the cost. They will remind us that keeping workers at partly operating estates such as Enmore and Skeldon raises production costs. Minister Mustapha has acknowledged this, but correctly views these as temporary expenses, not permanent burdens.
The painful lessons learned between 2016 and 2020 showed what happens with estate closures; thousands of workers lose their jobs, and entire communities suffer. The PPP/C government’s choice to reopen estates, keep workers, and prepare them for a mechanised future is an investment in people as much as it is in sugar.
What sets this plan apart from past promises is its clarity. It does not just demand more production. It specifies procurement timelines, land-conversion goals, and a clear profit target by 2030. Involvement from Indian sugar investors and experts adds an international angle that could speed up Skeldon’s return to significant output.
Shifting from bulk exports to higher-value products and partnering with the private sector for added-value production gives GuySuCo multiple revenue sources instead of relying on one unstable option.
Guyana’s sugar industry has faced cycles of growth and decline for centuries. What it needs now is not more doubt but the patience to allow a well-funded and carefully structured plan to take effect. Minister Mustapha has put the plan on the table. It’s time to start the journey.