-GuySuCo
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) yesterday reported that its first crop ended on Monday last and fell just below target despite constraints it faced from El Nino phenomenon.

The corporation said 81,864 tonnes of sugar were produced from a target of 91,675 tonnes, some 89.3 percent of the set target, noting that a final declaration is still pending from the Skeldon factory. In addition, it said the outlook for the second crop is “extremely good”.

GuySuCo’s press statement on the state of the industry also pointed to progress the corporation said it has achieved with respect to tillage and planting; the statement follows reports which indicate that the industry is struggling with its production targets as well as ongoing problems at the Skeldon factory.

Reports from inside the industry indicate that Skeldon has been underperforming since it became operational, and was beset by a string of problems which the corporation is currently addressing with the contractors. GuySuCo reported that a high number of stoppages were experienced at the factory during the first crop owing to factors in both the factory and cultivation. It said too that Skeldon was the last factory to cease grinding.

During the first crop, around 69 defects were identified to be fixed by the contractor at Skeldon, four of which are considered critical. In addition, several critical spares are inhibiting grinding rates and recoveries. But in its statement yesterday the corporation said the number was reduced to 41, and four are considered critical still. Based on the works ongoing at the factory, the corporation expressed optimism that more defects will be rectified ahead of the second crop.

GuySuCo confirmed that the factory performed at crushing rate of 250 tch (tonnes canes per hour) in the first crop; a rate below the target outlined in it highly touted turnaround plan. The corporation said it is targeting 300 tch in the second crop and 350 tch in the first crop of 2011, which is the design throughput of the factory. The turnaround plan focuses on the period 2009-2013, with performance extrapolated to 2018.

Tillage and planting are also key indicators in the turnaround plan and GuySuCo said it achieved around 86% of its tillage and 80% of its replanting programme. “It is expected that the estate land expansion will be completed by the end of this year and the farmers’ expansion by 2011,” the corporation said, adding that if the conditions continue to be relatively wet at Skeldon, more tractors and mechanical harvesters will be required to achieve the objective in the reduced opportunity time.

According to the corporation, Rose Hall and Enmore estates experienced the most significant shortfalls in production for the first crop because of El Nino phenomenon. It reported that most of the canes harvested on these estates were from the front lands, noting that the lands have high saline contents compared to the remainder of the cultivation. “Under extremely dry conditions canes growing on these soils become totally desiccated and invariably die,” it added.

Over at Enmore, GuySuCo said, water was limited and irrigation had to be restricted. It said that irrigation resources were concentrated mainly on supplying water in canals for cane transport and to a lesser extent keeping young plant canes alive.

In addition, GuySuCo said it is concerned at this time with the depreciating Euro, noting that indications suggest the situation will continue into the foreseeable future. The corporation said a significant percentage of the industry’s production is shipped to Europe, and as a result, the value of the Euro will impact on its finances.