More questions than answers

Jul 12, 2022 News

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– as GuySuCo defends use of articulated tractors; citing ‘independent report’

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has sought to clarify the process under which the use of articulated tractors was supported in soil preparation for the cultivation of sugar cane over the use of fixed frame machinery.

In a public missive, the sugar company claimed that an independent report by “a team of professional engineers independent of GuySuCo” was conducted, supporting the use articulated tractors for tillage purposes over the use of the fixed frame machinery.

Kaieteur News had received several internal documents relating to the use of machinery for tillage and had reported that the company was gearing to buy the GAME articulated tracks over John Deere fixed frame tractors despite the objection of senior GuySuCo officials, who based on their experiences, insisted that the John Deere tractors were cheaper and more efficient than the other brand which was highlighted primarily for the purpose of haulage.

The Sunday newspaper spread said that GuySuCo had assessed its tillage fleet in 2020 and found that it was in need of 27 machines to get the job done. The company’s Board of Directors procurement subcommittee recognized the crisis and “unanimously recommended” the purchase of six articulated tractors. The information continued that the GuySuCo executive supported the purchase, but “an uncorroborated criticism of the recommendation by well-connected minority was circulated, without having an informed understanding of the core issues and its impact on cane yields.” As such the subcommittee decision was set aside and an independent field testing of the two technologies was done.”

Kaieteur News had reported on a 2020 -2021 analysis of the evaluation of the articulated tractors by a named senior estate manager who had presented his findings stating that the fixed frame machines where better than the articulated machines.  It said among other things that “The empirical data in the test results revealed that the John Deere is a better tractor than the articulated tractor when working under the same condition.” It recommended that the John Deere tractor over the articulated “since it is capable of carrying out all the operations in the tillage/mechanization process,” that it’s cheaper and more versatile.

GuySuCo said in their Sunday statement that the team of professional engineers independent of GuySuCo, “clearly illustrated that the articulated technology is suitable for fields prepared for mechanical harvesting and that the industry should ‘procure for tillage’”. The 2022 report which was seen by this newspaper does not identify the “team of independent professionals” but concludes that “both fixed frame and articulated tractors can be applied for specific purposes, however, the rationale by GuySuCo and for long term land tillage operations, procuring more of the articulated tractors than fixed frame tractors will be beneficial to the industry.” Following which, the fixed frame tractors would be phased out when GuySuCo achieves 100percent conversion from Dutch to English beds.

GuySuCo stakeholders are contending however, that while different reports support the tractors, what is important to note is that the GAME Company where the articulated tractors are being sourced speaks of the machine for the purpose of haulage. Kaieteur News had also reported that GAME Equipment, LLC had provided a proposal to GuySuCo earlier this year to provide four more articulated tractors. The proposal spoke specifically to haulage and provided several recommendation letters which again, all spoke to haulage while GuySuCo’s specific requirement in the said document spoke to tillage.

“But the statement didn’t answer important questions,” one stakeholder told the newspaper when a comment was sought on the sugar company’s centre spread. “Is the GAME tractor suitable for tillage? All the recommendations said it’s good for haulage. Guysuco’s statement didn’t answer that. Also what about the supplier’s financial standing? Why is GuySuCo purchasing from a bankrupted supplier? Do they have the ability to deliver? They have side stepped these important questions deliberately and engaged in misinformation and deception,” the newspaper was told.

When a comment was sought from GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer Sasenarine Singh regarding the proposal speaking on haulage instead of tillage, he told the newspaper that the GAME tractors have been used for the last 15 years by the company and is currently being used at Albion for more than a year now. He said that from January, the company has spent some $58M in parts to maintain other (John Deere) equipment. The CEO had stated however that he commits no act without Cabinet’s approval. He said he does not act without permission and that, “Whatever Cabinet says, I jump. I don’t do anything without written permission,” he told the newspaper.

 

 

 

 

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