Agri minister says $70m committed to Trelawny sugar farmers

​Agriculture Minister Karl Samuda says the Government has committed another $70 million to assist farmers in Trelawny with the transportation of sugar cane to the Appleton Estate and Worthy Park factories this year.   

A similar amount was provided last year.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 63rd Hague Agricultural and Industrial Show in Trelawny on Wednesday, Samuda said the Government is cognisant of the challenges being faced by farmers since the shutdown of sugar production at the Long Pond Factory in the parish a few years ago. 

He recounted that the Government had kept the Long Pond Sugar Factory open in the first year of assuming office, but noted that he had indicated, at the time, that this could not be continued as the cost of keeping it open was too great for the Government to underwrite.

He said as a consequence the agriculture ministry had moved to provide money to assist small farmers, in particular, to transport the sugar cane from Long Pond to Appleton Estate in St Elizabeth and Worthy Park in St Catherine.

Samuda said he remains highly optimistic that the sugar cane industry will continue to thrive in Trelawny, despite the various challenges, noting that there developments are coming that will give rise to an even greater demand for the produce.

He said that Everglades, the owners of Long Pond, continues to pursue its objective of trying to restructure the plant so that it can produce energy to supply the Jamaica Public Service Company.

He noted that this will require increased cane production.