| -first time it has exceeded 2nd crop target in 11 yrsGuyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has produced 300 tonnes of sugar over its production target. And since three estates are still grinding, the corporation is hoping to add a few more thousand tonnes to its total.The cane being loaded.The second crop target had been projected at 146,300 tonnes. As of yesterday the production figure stood at 146,583 tonnes.Overall, the year’s target was set at 227, 443 tonnes. According to the figures released by GuySuCo yesterday, some 227, 727 tonnes have been produced. This would be the first time in 11 years that GuySuCo has achieved a second crop target.The Albion and Rose Hall estates in Berbice, and the Enmore estate in Demerara, are expected to continue operations until December 21.The corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Errol Hanoman,Throwback Jerseys, in a statement yesterday attributed this to the workers and management.Hanoman had also expressed hope that GuySuCo could meet the 230,000- tonne mark by the end of this year and 150,000 tonnes for the second crop, before the estates complete grinding operations. Whether that will be achieved remains to be seen.He noted that while this could be the beginning of the upward trend of the corporation, a tremendous amount of work is required to reverse its fortunes, and meet production targets.Hanoman cited the corporation’s debt as one of the elements on which a lot of focus has to be placed. The others of focus are cost and production.The company’s total liabilities as at last July were pegged at $82 billion. This debt is largely due to decreasing production, rise in production costs and the recent weakening in the European Union (EU) sugar prices.Over the past five years, the government injected into GuySuCo; $659M in 2011, $4B in 2012, $5.36 B in 2013, $6B in 2014 and $12B this year to meet operational and other costs.Hanoman noted that restructuring the industry was necessary to reverse its fate. One of the first things the new government did was to ensure better management. In this line, major changes were made in management and a new board of directors was created.In order to determine the reasons for the failing state of GuySuCo, a commission of inquiry was also set up. Thus far, the commission has presented an interim report and Cabinet has held a retreat to address the contents. An Interim Management Committee was also set up to scrutinize the operations of the Skeldon Sugar factory.SkeldonAccording to GUYSUCO yesterday, $30 billion of the company’s total debt is still outstanding in unpaid loans for the Skeldon sugar factory, which was commissioned in 2009.According to Hanoman, Skeldon as of Friday had exceeded its target of 30,594 tonnes. In 2009, Skeldon produced 25,727 tonnes, in 2010,Andre Branch Dolphins Jersey, 33,250 tonnes; 2011,Artemi Panarin Jersey, 29,410 tonnes; 2012, 33,309 tonnes; 2013, 25, 544 tonnes and 2014, 35,890 tonnes.On the corporation’s future, Hanoman said that a new industrial climate is needed. He also stated that any success in the future will be the management and union working together.The new crop is expected to begin by the end of January 2016. During the out-of-crop period, maintenance will be done on all the estates.GuySuCo faced two recent strikes, one in October and the other in November, over the award of the Annual Production Incentive (API). The company offered 2.7 days API, to be paid by March 2016; however this was rejected by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) which resorted to strike action.After the union had called off the strike, talks resumed but have since ended in a deadlock.According to GuySuCo, had it not been for the three-day strike in October, the set production target for the second crop would have been achieved since the end of November.It is understood that the corporation is currently producing about 100,000 tonnes less sugar than it was making 13 years ago. Its performance from 2002 to 2014 is as follows: 2002 – 331,052 tonnes; 2003- 302,379 tonnes; 2004- 325,317 tonnes; 2005 – 246,071 tonnes; 2006-259,549 tonnes; 2007- 266,482 tonnes; 2008- 226, 267 tonnes; 2009 -233,736 tonnes; 2010- 220,Cheap Sports Jerseys,818 tonnes; 2011- 236, 505 tonnes; 2012- 218,Kyle Korver Hawks Jersey,068 tonnes; 2013- 186,745 tonnes and 2014 -216,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys,350 tonnes and 2015, 227,727 up to December 14. |
