GuySuCo looking to partner with rice farmers to plough land, increase production

Aug 09, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is banking on a partnership with private rice farmers to increase the amount of land it tills to grow more sugar cane crops and ultimately improve its utterly poor production numbers.

The sugar company fell way below its first crop target and does not expect to meet required numbers this period to help satisfy both its local and foreign markets. It is adamant however that the company will not allow any in-country sugar shortage as Guyana will have first priority in accessing the sweetener. GuySuCo said its production numbers have fallen over the particular period because of mainly poor weather and inadequate machinery for tilling the soil.

As such, GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer Sasenarine Singh said Thursday last, that he has invited private rice farmers to engage in contracts with the company to work side by side and till the necessary acreage. He explained that these farmers with “big machines” will work with the company when the weather is sunnier. Acknowledging that the farmers would give their farmers first priority and noting that avenue as a “risk”, Singh said nonetheless that “they (farmers) have given me the commitment that between mid June, August and mid October, they are available to us and they are willing to work with us during that period.”

“So, if we plough the land then we can plant the land, then we can care for the cane, then we can have cane in the ground.” And once cane is in the ground, then we have sugar in the factory, the CEO emphasized. Singh said that the sugar production figure this year is 55,000 metric tons and it is not a lot, “but we are looking to make sure we plough more land this crop using the GuySuCo tractors and the private sector tractors in a public private partnership, and hopefully we can at minimum, double it (ploughing).”

Singh reiterated however, that despite the efforts being made, “everything is dependent on the weather.” He told the newspaper that as the rain continues to fall what currently exists on the plantations is what sugar stakeholders call “platter platter mud” that is so soft that it could be smeared on the skin. He said that tractors will be destroyed in that type of soil, and once the rain continues to fall “we are helpless”. The CEO said therefore, it would not matter what type of tractors are available to be used. The CEO and its Board of Directors, particularly, it’s Vice Chairman Anthony Vieira, have had heated discussions about what tractor would be best suited for the tillage job. Vieira has since tendered his resignation from the board.

In a full page advertisement in the news dailies yesterday, GuySuCo said that the fixed framed, and articulated tractors at the centre of the controversy, can both be used to get the company’s job done when applied on their different types of beds. The CEO told Kaieteur News that based on the advice of its technical people provided; the articulated tractors were most suited for the company’s Dutch beds and should be used until the company achieves 100 percent conversion to English beds. The tractors, the CEO has been insisting will increase capacity to till and ultimately increase sugar cane production. The first six articulated tractors provided to GuySuCo by the government, is expected to arrive in Guyana this month.

Singh said he is “definitely confident” that sugar production will increase next year once the recommendation of the Team of Professional Engineers independent of GuySuCo, is followed. He told the newspaper that the company’s decisions are backed by scientific evidence and that will be applied in moving the entity forward.