Narine extends sugar crop

Minister of Agriculture Jarette Narine has instructed the Sugar Manufacturing Company Ltd (SMCL) to extend the sugar crop until Wednesday. The extension came after the Trinidad Islandwide Canefarmers Association (TICFA) called for a rescheduling of the closing date of this year’s sugar cane harvest. Public relations officer of TICFA, Lallan Rajaram, told Newsday the extension will enable farmers, who have their cane cut and bundled in the field, to be able to get the cut cane out to the scales. Rajaram advised canefarmers that they should not burn cane they would not be able to harvest over the next five days.

“This is because the crop season will officially be closing on Wednesday with no more extensions, so the farmers must be able to burn cane that they can handle over the last few days,” he said. Canefarmers were initially told that the crop would have ended yesterday, but received a grace period of five days. TICFA urgently called for an extension in the crop because it was reported that farmers were facing substantial losses with over 100,000 tonnes of cane still left in the fields. This was due to the numerous breakdowns at the weigh scales and Usine Ste Madeleine factory throughout the crop season, resulting in slow production. The TICFA executive wished to thank the Agriculture Minister for his prompt directive for the company to carry on the 2004 sugar crop.