Sugar money paid to farmers

Although poor rainfall is likely to affect the 2020 sugar cane harvest, reaping will start on a positive note.

For the first time in several years, private sugar cane farmers will start a new harvest without outstanding arrears.

Yesterday, chairman of the Barbados Sugar Industry Limited, Mark Sealy, told the Nation that while the weather was a concern going into the new year, farmers got up-to-date payments for the 2018 and 2019 harvest and thus were in a better position to prepare for the coming crop.

He said farmers received the $2.72 million for interim support for 2018; and $1.8 million in interim pay and final payment of $2 million for this year’s harvest.

“We do not want the public to have the impression that we are rich; this is a marginal business,” Sealy said. “We delivered 56 000 tonnes of sugar cane and this was part of the price that was agreed for the 2019 crop.”