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GuySuCo extends sugar crop
The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), through a memorandum dated October 29th from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), has been advised that the ongoing second sugar crop has been extended to week-ending December 20, 2019.
The Albion sugar factory, East Berbice
The extension would come as news of a major shortfall for the second crop was announced.
The extension would likely be used to increase production.
“Our union in a statement of October 25 did point out that the corporation could not have realized its production target by the time the crop was set to end. Of course, in that statement that based on the performance of the corporation during the crop, thus far, we estimated that the target may not be realized at Albion and Blairmont estates.”
The union disclosed that it was the corporation which has said that there is the possibility of some estates carrying over canes from this year.
“It seems to say, from our point of view, that the sugar company is anticipating that not all the canes would be harvested and thus the crop target will be missed. Time, of course, will ultimately answer this question.”
Through the memorandum, GuySuCo said that it has decided to reduce weekly production targets with effect from week-ending November 09, 2019.
“As such the target at Albion will move from 2,140 tonnes to 2,076 tonnes; Blairmont from 1,275 tonnes to 1,237 tonnes, and Uitvlugt from 1,100 tonnes to 1,067 tonnes. It may be recalled that the workers of Albion on the first day of their crop (August 08) as they protested, among other things, the arbitrary increase of the weekly target.”
Indeed, GAWU said, while it is not happy about the situation, at the same time, it has been saying, for quite some time, that workers commitment has been sapped.
“It appears to us that the proverbial chickens have come home to roost. The reality of the situation cannot be disconnected from the shabby and discriminatory treatment that has been meted out to workers in recent times. In fact when the history of the industry, under state ownership is considered, this is the worst that the workers have ever been treated. Certainly those who direct and control the Corporation need to remove this imprinted stain of ignominy.”
Once king sugar, the industry has slumped after prices fell on the world market and Guyana lost its preferential market in Europe.
The aging sugar factories and a dwindling workforce coupled with poor agriculture have not helped.
In the last four years, the coalition government, insisting that the sugar industry is bleeding the treasury, has closed four sugar estates, sending home over 6,000 workers.
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