SUGAR HARVEST TO START TOMORROW

All systems are set and workers stand ready to commence the process for the harvesting of  Barbados’ sugar crop from tomorrow.

This announcement came as Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Indar Weir, and a team inclusive of CEO of the Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC), Orlanda Atherley; BAMC Chairman, Winston Best; and Jason Marshall, Director of Barbados Sugar Industries Limited (BSIL) met with media officials at Wakefield Plantation in St. John yesterday, for a press conference to discuss matters relating to the 2021 sugar crop.

“The start of the crop is March 1st, which is Monday,” Minister Weir announced.

Deputy Operations Manager at Portvale Sugar Factory, Marlon Munroe meanwhile added, “It is hopeful grinding operations will begin by the end of the first week of March. As you know, there are a lot of bank holidays in the month of May and April, so we expect grinding  operations will be completed around the first or second week of June 2021.”

Minister Weir explained that as part of a National Food Security Plan for Barbados, some critical decisions in relation to the BAMC and the sugar industry had to be taken.

“We took a decision last year to finish off bulk production for export and so now, all of our sugar will be used in our local market and then for export to the US and to the UK. ¨

This being the case, we are actually on the path to starting this year’s sugar harvest and in so doing, we have certain projections that we are looking to meet out of this year’s harvest,” Weir said.

“If I were to compare what we produced last year, sugar cane yields gave us 90 000 tonnes and this year we are  projecting 107 000 tonnes, so therefore we are increasing. We’ve produced 7 200 tonnes of sugar and we are deliberately reducing that now to 5 200 to satisfy the domestic consumption and then for export, as I said,” he added, noting as well that production of molasses will move from 5 000 tonnes to 13 000 tonnes to assist the rum industry.

Weir further stated, “These are good times. I am pleased to note what is happening in the industry and I am happy to also report to you that because of the favourable rainfall, our yields are expected to be  about 17.84 per acre in 2021, versus 12.14 in 2020. So all around, everything is trending in the right direction”.

CEO of the Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC), Orlanda Atherley later revealed that given the present COVID-19 pandemic, measures are being put in place to ensure that those working in the sugar industry can do their jobs, whilst having the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) and meeting the relevant health and safety protocols, such as the sanitisation of hands and social distancing. As such, there will be increased surveillance early on, and compliance officers will be strategically stationed to ensure all goes well.

Negotiations with unions have also been favourable and whilst not focusing on a wage increase, but more so on ensuring the safety of workers, these are concluding Atherley also revealed, whilst noting that other areas of concern such as having enough fuel and not running out of bagasse have also been accounted for. (RSM)