Gov’t committed to resolving challenges in sugar industry
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Investment, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Karl Samuda, yesterday reiterated his Ministry’s commitment to finding solutions to the challenges currently facing the country’s sugar industry.
Speaking at a media briefing at his St Lucia Avenue offices, Minister Samuda said although the existing challenges are daunting, the situation should not be described as a crisis, but should be seen as an opportunity to find solutions.
Emphasising that the Government had no intention of re-entering the sugar industry, Minister Samuda said, however, that it was committed to facilitating several interventions to assist cane farmers and their families.
The minister said that Government could not turn its back on the thousands of farmers and their families whose survival depends on employment to the industry.
Outlining the various initiatives to aid the industry, Minister Samuda announced that an agreement has been reached with the Long Pond Sugar Factory in Trelawny for Government’s Sugar Company of Jamaica Holdings Limited (SCJH) to operate the factory
for three months in order to process some 95,000 tonnes of cane.
The temporary operations are to be funded by the remainder of the $214 million, which was previously approved for the proposed transportation of cane from Trelawny to Appleton in St Elizabeth.
Given the current court injunction and the failure of Appleton to process cane at this time, it is also proposed for cane originally intended for Appleton to be sent to other factories, including Long Pond.
In the meantime, the minister commended Appleton for having offered a package of assistance, including soft loans, to the farmers affected by the current situation. He also noted that the company had kept on its factory staff in spite of the fact that it was not processing cane at this time.
With reference to the situation at Monymusk, the agriculture minister said his ministry had had extensive discussions with the Pan Caribbean Sugar Company Ltd. These deliberations will continue on Tuesday, April 19.
