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Shaw leaves cane farmers guessing

Published:Wednesday | November 14, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Christopher Serju
Ambassador Derick Heaven (centre) is a picture of concentration as Phillip Henriques (right), chief executive officer of the Sugar Industry Association, makes a point as Badiah Handal looks on following Wednesday’s keynote address to the 69th annual general meeting of the All-Island Jamaica Cane Farmers Association by Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Audley Shaw.

Farmers contracted to supply cane to the Pan Caribbean Sugar Company Limited have expressed surprise at the announcement that the 2018/2019 crop year will get under way next month, even though several issues remain unresolved for the current period. Chief among these is the overdue third payment due to them.

Pan Caribbean Sugar Company are the owners and operators of the Frome Sugar Factory in Westmoreland and the Monymusk factory in Clarendon.

At the same time, Minister of Agriculture Audley Shaw failed to provide definitive answers as to whether the Government would again take on the task of operating sugar factories. This has seemingly left farmers uncertain about their livelihoods.

Shaw, who delivered the keynote address during the delegate session of the 69th annual general meeting of the All-Island Jamaica Cane Farmers Association, at the Spanish Court Hotel, New Kingston, left "many questions unanswered" according to one farmer.

A memo from Pan Caribbean to 'Suppliers of Cane' and 'All Employees' dated Monday, November 12, advising that the "2018/2019 crop is planned to commence on or around December 17, 2018", has left the farmers in a quandary as to how they will finance harvesting of the crop.

 

NO COMMITMENT

 

In addition, Shaw did not commit to Government running the factory, telling the farmers he would take their case to the Cabinet. He said there would be no decision before the tabling of the Second Supplementary Estimates in December.

Despite the fact that the factories are privately owned, Shaw indicated he was in negotiations with business interests to take over their operations. He hinted that the State was mulling the idea of reclaiming a stake, even for the short term.

"Right now, we have several serious investors - including one of them at the very top who is very, very serious and that investor wants Monymusk and Frome - and I am saying it loud enough because my good friend at Pan Caribbean must understand that there is a market out there."

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com