Regional sugar producers have made an urgent appeal for policy changes to protect their markets in CARICOM in order to boost production.
The appeal on November 11 was made by Chairman of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) R. Karl James in a press release and came in the backdrop of the fact that more than two-thirds of sugar consumed in CARICOM comes from duty-free extra-regional sources. This displaces market opportunity for CARICOM sugar which is then forced onto the low value global market.
James noted that the production levels for SAC members: Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, and Belize, have fallen short of those in previous years. He noted that if CARICOM governments took the necessary steps to protect local producers from extra-regional imports, then production would improve in 2022.