GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha says sugar production fell by approximately 21 per cent in 2024.

Speaking with reporters earlier this week, he said a major management shakeup will take place in 2025 if the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) does not ramp up production in the New Year.

Initially, GuySuCo had anticipated that sugar production would have ranged between 60,000 and 70,000 tons by the end of the year. The Agriculture Minister had predicted that GuySuCo would have produced as much as 100,000 tons of sugar.

But 12 months later, and after billions of dollars in investment, the agriculture minister admitted a disappointing year for the sugar company.

“The sugar production is just over 47,000 tons. They would have had a shortfall of about almost more 21 per cent,” he said.

Expressing his dissatisfaction, Mustapha said from the first crop, the Government knew that production would have fallen below the target.

It was explained that during the first crop, GuySuCo produced 7,000 tons of sugar, as against the projected 16,000 tons.

Mustapha said the shortfall was as a result of a number of factors including stunted growth in sugarcane and poor weather.

He also reiterated earlier statements made by President Irfaan Ali that a management shakeup will take place in the New Year, if GuySuCo fails to meet its production target.

“In the New Year we will see some changes in the management of GuySuCo at various estates, they are already contemplating to move managers. Some managers will come out of the system,” he said.

He said the Government is very dissatisfied with GuySuCo’s performance, and will have to take drastic actions.

Mustapha said it is important for GuySuCo to bring down the cost of production, while increasing production.

“We want GuySuCo to ensure that they reduced their cost of production, they achieve their target that is why we have brought in technical support. We have a set of technical expertise from India and Cuba working along with GuySuCo,” he said.

According to him, GuySuCo has assured the Government that it will accelerate its mechanization programme going forward.

At present 40 per cent of its land has been converted as part of its mechanization programme which is intended to enhance its operation and production.

At the start of the year, GuySuCo received a subvention of $6-billion GUY .

He said since then, it has received billions more in supplementary funding, but its performance remains dismal.