Sugar boss tells farmers: Get your act together to meet export quota

“All the stakeholders must work collectively to guarantee that the country’s image on the International Market would be maintained especially as we have to export 55,000 tonnes of sugar to Europe and the USA.”
— Prem Nandlal

Prem Nandlal, chairman of the Sugar Manufacturing Company Limited (SMCL), is appealing to farmers “to get their act together and be committed to the crop so that the projected target would be achieved.” On Monday morning, mechanical harvesters were seen cutting canes for the start of the 2004 sugar cane crop on fields owned by the former Caroni (1975) Limited. “All the stakeholders must work collectively to guarantee that the country’s image on the International Market would be maintained especially as we have to export 55,000 tonnes of sugar to Europe and the USA,” Nandlal said. He added, “If we fall short it could be disastrous for Trinidad and Tobago.” He said that the 55,000 tonnes of sugar is sold at a price of $3,000 per tonne so that in terms of foreign exchange, earnings for the crop would be in the vicinity of $165,000,000 TT ($27,500,000). “This  means that canes must be of a high quality and clean to make sure that it is a success,” he said. According to Wayne Innis, chairman of Virgo Consultants Limited (VCL), the group appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture to oversee the operations of the crop, “Limited grinding of canes is now taking place to ensure that the machinery at the Usine Ste Madeleine Factory (the only one producing sugar now) is working smoothly.”

When Government announced its restructurng programme for Caroni (1975) Limited, early last year, the production of sugar was reduced to 75,000 tonnes with only one factory to be in operation (Usine Ste Madeleine). It also  meant that the Brechin Castle Factory would be totally closed down as well as the nearby Head Office and other relevant agencies in the area, so that in terms of econonic activity in and around Couva,  growth and development as a result of sugar would be minimal. In discussing this year’s crop, Innis said that an inter-religous ceremony was held last week “to ask for divine guidance to ensure that the country’s target of 75,000 would be reached.” He also explained that the grinding of farmers’ canes would start today, with the Sugar Manufacturng Company Limited being mandated to accept clean canes for milling purposes.

Nandlal said that contracts have already been given out with respect to the weighing of canes and the various cane farmers’ associations have been assigned duties in that regard. Government has offered farmers $180 per tonne of cane instead of the $200 they have been clamouring for, while the Agriculture Minister Jarette Narine has been holding talks with the various cane farmers associations in the country with respect to future payment for canes supplied. At the moment several of Caroni fields have been maliciously set on fire, and these are the areas that contractors have been asked to cut first so that sucrose content of the canes would not be lost entirely.