Trelawny sugar cane interests optimist for new crop season
CLARKS TOWN, Trelawny – Sugar cane interests in Trelawny are optimistic that the 2005/2006 crop, which got underway at the Long Pond Sugar Factory last week, will yield significantly more sugar than last year’s.
Vice president of operations at the Long Pond facility Aston Smith is one industry player forecasting a brighter crop season.
“We expect a better crop this time around,” he told the Observer.
The 2004/2005 crop, which got underway almost three months late and ended prematurely, produced only 4,800 tonnes of sugar, falling well below the projected 10, 000 tonnes. This season, which got underway last week, is expected to be different. The expectation is that the 2005/2006 crop, will last 16 weeks and produce 11, 000 tonnes of sugar.
There were several factors that contributed to the low production last season. In addition to an almost three months late start, production at Long Pond was affected by a turbine explosion that resulted in the death of Kagel Insang, a 23-year-old machinist, and the injury of two other employees.
The factory also lost several hours due to the breakdown of machinery and industrial action by cane cutters upset over low wages.
“(There was also) the impact of the three hurricanes (and) the seven months drought. So we had to stop the crop from early,” added Smith.
Chairman of the Long Pond/Vale Royal Cane Farmers’ Association Delroy Anderson was also hopeful for the outcome of the 2005/2006 crop.
“I think this year will be better than last year in light of the fact that we are starting so early. Also, I see they have done a certain amount of repairs, which we hope will keep up as we go along and they will improve the efficiency of the factory,” he said.
The Long Pond Sugar factory is, meanwhile, to be closed as part of the Jamaican government’s move to rationalise the sugar industry in light of the planned massive cut in the price paid for sugar in the island’s preferential European market.
The move came in the wake of the European Union’s decision to cut the price it pays to domestic producers as well as to producers from the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of countries by 37 per cent over a five-year period. The EU’s decision came amidst continued pressure from developed countries at the World Trade Organisation to cut its farm subsidies, and its preferential sugar arrangements for ACP countries.
