Latest update February 10th, 2025 2:25 PM
Govt. plans to build more co-generation plants at sugar estates
As the May 11, 2015 election draws near, President Donald Ramotar has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the sugar industry’s advancement. He said that more co-generation plants will be built at the sugar factories, with at least two more being established in the Region Six, East Berbice area.
President Donald Ramotar as he addressed the crowd at Canefield Settlement East Canje, Berbice
“This will help the industry to earn more money and the bagasse will not go to waste any longer.”
His message was conveyed to a gathering Tuesday evening at Canefield Settlement, East Canje, Berbice, where a community meeting was held, a Government statement said.
Speaking of the sugar industry’s contribution, the Head of State said: “We have to modernise the traditional sectors of our economy and most important in that regard is the sugar industry.”
According to Ramotar, it is important for the sugar industry to be modernised as it has played a tremendous role in Guyana’s history.
“It has been responsible for all of us being here; we came here as either indentured labourers or as slaves to work in sugar, and sugar has been the grandfather of all the industries in Guyana, making contributions to the development of many other industries in Guyana.”
Pointing to some of the contributions made by the sugar industry, the President pointed out that as a result of training received under Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) many large companies have more skilled managers and engineers.
Acknowledging the fact that the industry is experiencing a bad patch by no fault of its own, the Head of State said it is only fair that the government steps in to render the needed assistance.
It was also pointed out that the industry is now suffering since there is much competition for labour in the mining and extractive sector as opposed to the past when competition was limited, “And therefore for the industry to survive, we have to restructure, and we have to use more mechanisms, machinery; we have to make it more machine-friendly in the fields, and we have to also modernise the factories.”
Speaking of plans for the industry in the future, the President said during his visit to India earlier this year the Prime Minister of that country, Narendra Modi committed to giving assistance to the industry’s advancement.
“He has promised to help us to modernise the factory and help us to work on some finances for the sugar industry itself, and that is how we are going to go to really change and restructure the industry, to try to make it, not just a producer of raw sugar, but try to make the industry a complex one with new revenue streams attached to the industry itself.”
Plans are also in the pipeline to make the industry more flexible to upkeep with the changing price of sugar on the world market. “…we are beginning now to look at new products; we are packaging more and more sugar to be exported to try to compensate for the low prices on the world market.”
Further the expansion of ethanol production is being considered while discussions are also in train for the production of liquid sugar.
He asked the gathering to weigh in their mind what is best for the country, as he pointed to the fact that there were several calls by members of the combined opposition to close the industry.
President Ramotar added that the opposition’s non-support to the sugar industry was more evident over the past three years as they continued to vote against funding for it in the National Assembly.
He added that not only did the opposition try to harm the sugar industry, but the country as a whole as they have over the last three years stood in the way of several other developmental projects which stood to benefit all Guyanese.
The sugar industry has been facing severe problems in recent years, falling to two decades low with the last couple years.
Its new US$200M Skeldon factory in Berbice has failed to perform, requiring the cane needed at other factories.
Recently to raise cash, the Guyana Sugar Corporation sold off the co-generation plant at Skeldon to the Guyana Power and Light Inc.
It is now thinking of building more.
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