Sugar production on new course

Independent growers will be able to improve their operations and increase sugar cane production levels as the restructuring of the sugar industry continues.
Minister of Agriculture Dr David Estwick gave this assurance as he spoke yesterday at a meeting with a delegation from Japanese company Marubeni Corporation at the ministry’s Graeme Hall headquarters as a second step in trying to meet the mandate given by Cabinet to transform the sugar industry into a sugar cane industry.
The meeting dealt with financing the transformation process – slated to cost US$230 million – which will see the development of a variety of value added products, including specialty sugars, a-strike and b-strike molasses, as well as electricity.
Estwick said that the restructuring process would be done in two phases and would include field improvements along with the construction of a multi-purpose sugar cane processing facility. (LK)