As the process for the reopening of the Rose Hall Sugar Estate continues, a register is being developed which saw the last count as of yesterday at 425 persons seeking employment.
According to GuySuCo official, Aaron Dukhia, they thought it best to create a register where persons interested in regaining employment could submit their names and contact information. He stressed that priority would be given to workers who were laid off from the estate.
Meanwhile, over the weekend the estate set up a sign advertising vacancies for field, general and duty workers, mechanical tillage operators, field spray hands, and field carpenters.
Dukhia explained that those are some of the workers they urgently need. “Those are a few vacancies we need urgently but you may not see much employment on that board because we will be taking from the register”.
He explained that presently he has a team comprising an agriculture manager, three assistant field mangers, five superintendents and ten field foremen.
Furthermore, Dukhia noted that an early assessment was done during which they discovered that 60% of the infrastructure attached to the estate needs attention.
He further explained that during their assessment of the cultivation and structures they discovered that some structures need only rehabilitation while other require urgent repairs and a few need complete replacement.
Additionally, Dukhia said that some dams and roads on the estate are in good condition as well as some structures and drainage pumps.
The estate official said that over the last week they have discovered the cultivation riddled with vegetation and old cane, as such they started the process to burn and remove these in preparation to plow.
Dukhia, when questioned, told Stabroek News that he was previously a general manager with GuySuCo and retired in 2010.
When asked what sparked his decision to return at this time, he said “patriotism”.
Dukhia explained, “Patriotism is the main reason I returned. I feel I can contribute to the idea of reopening the sugar estates and making the industry alive again”.
He stressed, that he is working in conjunction with GuySuCo and they would have discussed a time frame as to when the estate should be producing sugar.
