GuySuco needs to provide answers on this type of cane

Feb 09, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Each day passes with revelations that are progressively leaning towards the closure of GuySuCoO despite the President’s outreach for ideas to mitigate such an event. An event that will create enormous economic burden on the approximately 25,000 individuals that will directly be displaced within the industry, not to mention about 75000 that are closely related to the industry within ancillaries.
In an article in the Kaieteur News dated January 22nd 2017 and captioned, “Using ethanol to mitigate the state’s fuel costs could kill the rum industry” there was no mention by the reporter of any new measures, creative solutions, vision, restructuring that was introduced by the team that Minister Holder put in place. Some are of the view that it was this same team that may have led sugar into the crisis in the first place.
It was also reported that GuySuCo’s CEO, Errol Hanoman, said that the production of ethanol, “would kill the local rum industry which remains heavily dependent on molasses provided by GuySuCo”.
In my opinion and I stand to be corrected, this statement is erroneous and signifies a lack of understanding of the process involved in making ethanol within the industry. It also signifies that there is a lack of understanding of his relative responsibility with regards his position as CEO of GuySuCo. Specifically his main concern and efforts should be about saving GuySuCo and saving sugar and not be concerned about the rum industry. That is the purview of another company and another CEO’s responsibility. In fact the rum industry is dependent on the saving of sugar.
To pronounce that the production of ethanol may kill the rum industry is as good as saying that closure of GuySuCo will kill the rum industry. Where is the molasses for the rum industry going to come from if the industry is closed? Maybe the CEO can tell us. Is this then going to be an argument to actually keep sugar alive? So what would happen to the rum industry if the sugar industry is made to fail, if it’s not allowed to produce ethanol? What would happen to the workers in the rum industry not to forget this is another major foreign exchange earner?
Ethanol can be made from cane juice in which case there is no molasses. Or it can go all the way to sugar and so the molasses is obtained and the sugar can be used to produce the ethanol. Here again correct me if I am wrong. In this way some factories may cut the process at the juice level while others may go all the way to sugar then ethanol. In this way the CEO’s concern for the rum industry would be taken care of.
In addition the spent waste from the production of ethanol can be utilized to fertilise the cane plants saving on the use of fertilizers. I do hope I have taken care of the concern that the CEO has for the rum industry and sincerely hope this concern extends to the 75 thousands that would be affected by the closure of sugar and the shortage of foreign exchange that would also result.
On the 1st day of October, 2016 Stabroek News published a letter written by me, captioned “Is there a third variety of sugar”. The response, on the 15th of October and captioned “third variety of sugar” by the PR Officer comprised three lines and I quote “With reference to a letter published in your newspapers on 1 October, 2016 by Mr. Rajendra Bissessar, titled: `Is there a third variety of sugar?’ The Corporation wishes to state that this matter has been addressed extensively over the years both in the public domain and otherwise.” I was a bit flabbergasted.
No answers to my questions. Does GUYSUCO expect the taxpayers of this country to do extensive research without even pointing out where such responses have been published? One would have expected some information on the issues raised. I asked about a new variety of cane which according to information was introduced at Skeldon and now I have a name (CO86032) a variety that was brought to Guyana with the consent of the Indian Government and introduced at Skeldon Estate. And to help I have copied this from the net, “Out of commercial varieties, Co 86032 and Co 86249 are becoming the most popular varieties in tropical cane growing states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat”. My information if correct indicates over 40 tons an acres – sucrose content of 25% compared to 17% for varieties mentioned in the COI.
Mr. Errol Hanoman and Mr. Bhim do you know of this variety? I need answers; the sugar workers need answers; the people of this country need answers. I am still hoping that the CEO would be able to supply real answers. I personally mentioned this to the Chairman of the Sugar COI, to Professor Clive Thomas and to the Minister of Agriculture. This is not about politics and political parties. It’s about Guyana. I am calling on the people of this country to demand answers. I am calling on Komal Chand whose voice seems to have been rendered silent, to join me in demanding answers.
Rajendra Bisessar

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