LOCAL cane farmers have renewed their call for the dismissal of the management of the state-owned Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ), saying the deterioration of the sector over recent years was a result of years of gross neglect.

Chairman of the All-Island Came Farmers Association, Allan Rickards, said the disappointing results and figures relating to the performance of the sector were enough to sack those in charge.

“Somebody has to take responsibility for the abject failure of the sector which. is really quite embarrassing,” Rickards told the Observer earlier this week.

The cane farmers have long argued that the state-owned sugar factories were being mismanaged, leaving them in serious financial ruts.

According to Rickards, local farmers were at the mercy of the inefficiently run factories which have resulted in the wanton waste of many cane crops. The farmers, he said, were concerned about the long delays for factory start-ups that were largely due to the malfunctioning of factory equipment and in some cases, labour problems.

“There is no symbiotic relationship between farmer and factory so that our canes are taken in at the right time,” Rickards said.

The lengthy hold-ups, he said, result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. “I don’t believe there is prudent management of resources,” Rickards said.

Added Rickards: “Farmers want to see a situation in which each factory has a general manager, a factory manager and a field manager and, therefore, you would have more autonomy in terms of the operations of the factory.

“We also want to see an advisory board in every factory area made up of manufacturers, farmers and worker representatives and community interests that can advise of matters vital to their communities,” he added.

“The farmers want to see a big change in the management of the SCJ and our complaints will become clearer over the next few weeks,” Rickards said.

Several meetings, he said, were being planned by the farmers, starting with one at Frome in Westmoreland next Friday.