The Uitvlugt sugar factory is scheduled to commence grinding over the weekend, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, stated on Wednesday.
According a Ministry of Agriculture release, the minister made this announcement during a meeting with cane farmers and management on Wednesday in the estate’s boardroom.
Mustapha told the farmers that sufficient canes were available to commence grinding, stressing that the canes were ripe when harvested. He reminded that since taking office, the government had invested large sums of money into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), and that it was working to revitalise the corporation through mechanisation, to increase production and yields.
“Over the last four years, large budgetary allocations were invested in GuySuCo. Last Friday, I was in Parliament defending an additional sum to continue work to revitalise the industry. While the Opposition continues to fight us on these matters, as a government we know the importance of this sector. GuySuCo has approximately 8,000 persons directly employed in the industry, while a substantial amount of Guyanese benefit indirectly. There are also persons like you, the private cane farmers, the people you employ, and their families. So, you see, GuySuCo is not an isolated organisation. It is the single largest employer in our country,” the minister argued.
The recent disclosure to Stabroek News by GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Cheong that the corporation recorded back-to-back losses of $7.8 billion and $10.2 billion in 2021 and 2022 respectively has raised serious concerns about the state of the industry.
Mustapha on Wednesday also said that GuySuCo hopes to produce approximately 100,000 tons of sugar this year despite suffering a shortfall in cane production due to the extended El Niño period.
“We are working to revitalise GuySuCo, bringing it back to where it was. Last year, we produced 60,000 tons of sugar, representing an increase in sugar production when compared to 2022. We are hoping that by the end of this year, we can produce 100,000 tons of sugar. Because of the unfortunate period we had with the El Nino, 108,000 tons of cane were destroyed. We had to replant because the most important thing is to grow cane and increase the yields to supply the factory. I am hoping that, over time, we can increase the yield from approximately 40 to 50 tons per hectare to approximately 89 to 90 tons per hectare,” Mustapha added.
He also spoke of mechanisation being the possible solution to the labour shortages being experienced by the sugar industry.
“We know there is a problem with labour. Now that Guyana is experiencing massive development, it is becoming difficult to find labour. There are so many options and opportunities available to citizens, so rather than working in the cane fields, people are choosing to work in other sectors. This is why we are putting things in place to mechanise the sector.”
The Minister told those present that there are some infrastructural works to be done in the fields and that GuySuCo will be guided as to how it should go about executing those works. He also stated that a long-boom excavator will be sent to the estate within the next two weeks to assist with those works.
“In another two weeks, we’ll send a long-boom excavator here to assist with infrastructural works. We’ll also work to do remedial work on some of the main dams like the Pumpkin Dam and Boderust Dam, so that you can access the Tiger Dam and other parts of the cultivation area,” Mustapha assured.
