Frome, Westmoreland — Despite a 40 per cent decline in the number of illicit fires that have ravaged the Sugar Company of Jamaica’s Frome Division, industry players are still calling for a lot more to be done to completely eradicate the harmful practice.

With the absence of specific regulations to address the issue, the illegal fires are now treated as arson, but some industry players are pushing to have that changed.

Senator Fred Hamatty, for example, said he will ask the nation’s Parliament to pass a Cane Fire Prevention Act that will establish guidelines for penalising those who set immature cane ablaze.

Approximately 170,000 tonnes of sugar has gone up in flames since this year’s crop began, but the factory managed to salvage 7,700 tonnes.

And despite being two weeks behind schedule, 31,000 tonnes of sugar have already been produced at Frome. Harvesting manager, Victor Drum said he was confident that the targeted amount of 60,000 tonnes will be met before the crop ends in May.

Senator Hamatty also expressed confidence in the industry, despite widespread opinion that sugar is on the decline.

“Despite not being out of the woods yet, the sugar industry is not on life support machine,” he said. But he stressed that the sector’s viability would depend on the training of workers, proper management personnel at all levels and, most importantly, the harvesting of fresh cane which should reach the factory within 24 hours after being reaped.

The Senator also stressed the need for exploring value added and alternative products. He argued that Frome’s now defunct rum distillery should be revamped, large factories could explore the possibility of supplying electrical power to the utility company and the viability of value added products such as syrup.