Latest update April 26th, 2026 12:45 AM
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A blueprint to keep Wales going
Dear Editor,
We are happy to offer the following suggestions for salvaging the unsatisfactory performance of Wales Estate and making it profitable, sustaining its present workforce and creating more job opportunities in the future, etc:
1. Rescind the closure of the estate and focus sugar production to satisfy current local and international markets.
2. Embark on crop diversification on the low yielding lands.
3. Commence inter-cropping on current moderate to high yielding lands. The following table gives some suggestions as regards intercropping and the products that can be produced:
| Other Crops | Value Added Products | Miscellaneous |
| Fruits
Citrus Fruits Pineapple Pear Mangoes Bananas Cashew Cherries |
Fruit Juices
Fruit Sugar Fruit Concentrates Fruit in Syrup Fruit Vinegar Pickled Fruits Jams Jellies Fruit Wines Alcohol Fruit Vinegar Snacks |
Biogas
Silage Compost Livestock Feeds Organic Herbicides |
| Vegetables & Ground Provisions
Cassava Corn Soyabean Minica Pigeon Peas Coconuts Cocoa Yam Sweet Potatoes Eddoes Plantain Vine Crops |
Farine Tapioca Casreep Soya Chunks Soya Milk Coconut Milk Coconut Flour Coconut Water Coconut Toddy Chocolate Corn Oil Coconut Oil Pickled Vegetables Snack Foods
|
Biogas Silage Compost Livestock Feeds Coconut Fibre Mats Activated Charcoal Coconut Fibre Mattresses |
| Herbs
Turmeric Ginger Arrowroot Neem Sijan Pepper Aloes Thyme Married Man Pork Tulsi Teazam Daisy
|
Tablets Capsules Tinctures Liniments Herbal Insecticides Suppositories Herbal Drinks/Wines Green Seasonings Herbal Powders Herbal Essential Herbal Carrier Oils Deodorants Shampoos Soaps Beauty Products |
Biogas Compost Herbal Weedicides
|
| Livestock
Sheep Goats Cows Pigs Poultry |
Canned Meat Cheese Yogurt Pickled Meat Eggs Milk Bacon |
Biogas Compost
|
| Acquaculture
Tilapia Hassar Crabs Prawns |
Canned Products Dried Fish/Shrimps Canned Pickled Products |
Livestock Feed |
4. Marketing
· Continue Conventional Traditional Marketing
· Embark on Relationship Marketing- Focus on the following markets:
a.Internal- employees
b.Supplier
c.Influence
d.Referral
e.Recruitment – exhibitions, fairs, etc.
·Build relational, functional and strategic partnerships with stakeholders, businesses, etc
5.Pursue other income generating initiatives: farm tourism, sport fishing, rental of properties, etc
6. Cut costs: providing car loans, allowances, etc for Executives, Managers, etc
7. Human Resources Management. Do the following:
a. Appoint Executive Directors for key areas of operation
b. Audit the use of management tools annually to determine efficiency and effectiveness- organization structure, job descriptions, performance appraisals
c. Implement succession planning, training, implementation and audit on an annual basis.
d. Rigorously train and retrain existing staff to improve their competencies especially where new ventures are concerned.
e. Promote staff on basis of competence and integrity at all times.
f.Employ retired people at lower levels (as advisors, trainers, etc) and not in substantive positions, thereby giving younger staff opportunities to grow and develop.
8. Establish partnerships with national and international companies that manufacture fruit concentrates, confectionery, jams, jellies, chocolates, etc which utilize sugar as an important ingredient. Or alternatively, adapt and use the present machinery and human resources to establish new ventures.
As the situation stands with Wales and other estates, it is requisite that when decisions are to be made regarding any closure Ministers and other key personnel involved must use their emotional intelligence at all times. We must not play political games with the lives of innocent people who are not to be blamed for the current state of the estate, observing that the past management, union and political leaders were happy presiding over the mess that currently obtains. As free people, we will not contribute to anything without perceiving the gain of property and a future in it. The closure of Wales is inimical to achieving the good life and social cohesion which demand that we show a willingness to belong and contribute to the betterment of our wounded country.
Doodnauth Singh
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