Guyana to increase sugar production by year end
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is expected to produce approximately 60,000 tonnes of sugar by the end of this year, as the government seeks assistance to boost the business.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali proclaimed this while speaking in East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Friday.
“From what I understand, we should end this year with 60,000 tonnes (of sugar), and we’re working to get up to 100,000 tonnes in the new year,” he said.
A number of new developments, notably the reopening of the Rose Hall Estate in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) later this year, are credited to the increase in production.
This year will also see the opening of a new packaging plant in Albion, Region Six.
However, Ali also stated that one of the major issues confronting the sugar business is the growing of sugarcane.
To address this, Guyana is working with three foreign partners–India, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic–to obtain the scientific assistance needed to determine the best sugarcane type for local planting.
He revealed that those partners may assist Guyana in establishing a new plant nursery so that the most suited types of the crop can be cultivated in large enough quantities to meet local demand.
GuySuCO received a multibillion-dollar subsidy in the 2023 National Budget to assist its expansion aspirations. In December, the Parliamentary Committee on Supply approved $1 billion in additional funds for GuySuCo to assist with sugar estate retooling.
The administration of Irfaan Ali has stated unequivocally that it will spend extensively in the sugar business as part of its efforts to revitalize the industry and make it profitable once more.
