Increased sugar production signals hope for industry

Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Data released by the Sugar Industry Authority (SIA) daily factory operations report for June 16, 2011, have revealed that there has been increase in sugar production. According to the figures, a combined 134,507 tonnes of the sweetener were churned out across five of the seven estates during the 2010-11 crop.

Three factories have already surpassed their projected targets for the year.

"This is a great improvement over last year. It is still not where we would like to be, but we are hoping that this trend will continue into future crops," Ambassador Derrick Heaven, chairman of the SIA, told The Gleaner on Friday.

"This can be attributed to an improved cane supply and better weather conditions that allowed for less tonnes of cane to make more tonnes of sugar."

Some 118,544 tonnes of the sweetener was produced for the entire season last year. The current crop ends July 30.

Appleton Estate in St Elizabeth has closed its season with 31,033 tonnes - one ton more than it had projected at the start of the season in January. St Catherine's Worthy Park has already surpassed its 20,000 tonnes target, realising an output of 21,092 tonnes to date with 14 more days to go.

Golden grove on target

The Golden Grove Sugar Company in St Thomas, which the Seprod Group acquired from the Government in 2009, has improved from a 10,000 tonnes per-crop-year facility, to be on target to go beyond 18,000 tonnes.

Monymusk fell 20,000 tonnes short of the 37,000 tonnes projected for the 2009/2010 crop; with an output of 17,000 tonnes of sugar from the 247,000 tonnes of cane delivered.

For this year, while it is not expected that they will achieve the 45,000 tonnes needed as its contribution to Jamaica's obligation under the pre-financing arrangement to British refiner Tate and Lyle, the Clarendon-based sugar producer has had an impressive year with 25,479 tonnes.

Frome in Westmoreland closed its season a shade over the 41,000 tonnes last year to make some 41,687 tonnes of sugar, falling short of the 55,000 tonnes it sought to achieve this year.

Monymusk and Frome, as well as Bernard Lodge in St Catherine, will complete full transition to new owner - Chinese firm COMPLANT International Sugar Industry Company Limited - in July 2011.

COMPLANT acquired the factories for US$9 million in July, last year.

According to Allan Rickards, chairman of the Jamaica Sugar Cane Growers' Association, the expected takeover of the factories by the Chinese have created a high level of expectation.

"There is a better morale in the industry, especially Frome and Monymusk," he said. "Just the fact that they are aware that the factories will be in operation has made them upbeat and more urgent."

Meanwhile, the Hussey family-owned Everglades Farms, which experienced a torrid first season, continues to refurbish the two Trelawny-based estates in preparation for the 2011/2012 crop year. Some US$3.6 million has reportedly been spent on factory repairs, and US$2.75 million on crop expansion, translating into some 1,208 acres of new cane plantings.