Cane farmers to get paid for 2003 crop

CANE farmers will, from this morning, receive a $42 million payout from Government as the balance of payment for canes supplied in this year’s sugar cane crop. The payments will continue next Monday and Tuesday. Some 7,000 cane farmers are to benefit from the payout. The farmers received the first interim payment of $93 per tonne for the supply of canes to the now defunct Caroni (1975) Ltd sugar cane factories leaving outstanding payments of $77 per tonne. The farmers are yet to be informed of the new price for canes for next year’s crop. Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmer’s Association’s public relations officer Lallan Rajaram said the association’s executive would meet with Agriculture Minister John Rahael today to discuss a range of matters relating to next year’s sugar cane crop.

The Cane Farmers’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago has requested a meeting with the management of the newly formed Sugar Manufacturing Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SMCTT), which replaced the now defunct Caroni (1975) Ltd, to discuss the issue of existing contracts farmers have for the supply of canes to the sugar mills.  Farmers’ contracts range from one to five years and according to the association’s general secretary Dave Persad, an attorney, these contracts are still valid. The contracts are not invalidated by virtue of Caroni’s restructuring programme or closure, Persad said. “Farmers are in the dark about next year’s crop, land preparation, subsidies, etc,” Persad said. A meeting has been fixed for next week Tuesday between the association and Prem Nanlal of SMCTT.