Dear Editor,
As a former employee of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, I am fully supportive of the replacement of the old Albion cane gantry system to a more modernized efficient punt dumper system as the sugar company evaluates its operations to strengthen efficiency. In fact, the installation of a punt dumper system at Albion is long overdue. The punt dumper system will allow for increase of cane supply to the factory, thus, significantly reducing the turnaround time and for the punts to return to the cultivation.
Over the years the old chain gantry system became a source of concern to management, the sugar unions and the harvesting gangs apart from the wear and tear of the ‘slings’. The application of welding to effect repair work to the broken chains further compounded the problems as the heat applied to the chain “links” reduced the tensile strength, making it more brittle and secondly, allowing it to be more susceptible to “breaks” and “cuts” during the lifting of the canes from the punts. Secondly, the replacement cost is another factor. As the chains deteriorate, the safe working load (SWL) is subject to possible reduction. There are instances when the bundles are broken as a result of the ‘burst’ chains, canes are spilled into the mill dock canal. The ensuing result is losses in cane weight which is borne by cane harvesters, thus contributing to significant financial loss of their daily earnings and weekly incentives.
Thirdly, Editor, it is a known fact that the sugar company has over the years experienced significant losses of chains due to theft; scarce financial resources then have to be made available for the purchase of new chains annually. I recall at several budget meetings at the East Demerara Estates at LBI, $15M – $20M have to be allocated annually for the procurement of sling chains for the old cane gantry system. By discontinuing with the status quo this scarce financial resource can now be reallocated to other areas of the sugar manufacturing. The punt dumper system will further reduce the burn to grinding interval (BGI) of the harvested canes and more importantly reduce spoilage. That in itself will help improve the cane to sugar (TC/TS) tonnage conversion ratio.
Labour shortages within the sugar industry has forced the industry to employ innovative measures, for example, the merger of the harvesting gangs at Port Mourant. The investment in the punt dumper system at Albion will therefore support the short, medium- and long-term operational needs at the estate. In view of the foregoing, I am convinced that the decision taken by the corporation to replace the old cane gantry system with a punt dumper system is sound, as the management will have to do all acts or things to ensure the sugar company stays in the business of sugar manufacturing.
Yours truly,
Mahindra Ishri
