Agriculture Minister Karl Samuda says every effort will be made to find the resources to rehabilitate cane roads islandwide.

Addressing the 68th annual general meeting of the All-Island Jamaica Cane Farmers’ Association on November 15 at Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston, Samuda said that to give the farmers in the industry a fair chance, “we have to fix the cane roads”.

“So we are going to use, to the best of our ability, the resources to make sure that the roads are repaired,” Samuda said and urged the management of the All-Island Jamaica Cane Farmers’ Association “to encourage people in the areas where we grow cane, not to burn the cane”.

“Tell the people: do not burn your sugar cane and your future. The only people that are being harmed with illicit burning are the people themselves. So, look at your community and realise that anything that leads to the burning of sugar is compromising (your) future — and we cannot have that,” Samuda said.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that the sugar industry is on track to surpass the US$17 million in exports made last year.

“From January to August, indications are that we are going to surpass the US$17 million that we exported last year, based on the amount of sugar that we have exported. I am encouraged by the rain that we are getting prior to the reaping of the crop, and I am very encouraged [by] the attendance to the crop itself and how it is being maintained,” he said.

The annual general meeting was held to discuss the latest international and local developments that impact the industry.

— JIS