GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Guyana government has recommitted itself to transforming the country’s sugar industry through modernisation, mechanisation, and strategic investments aimed at ensuring its long-term sustainability.
President Irfaan Ali, addressing the 78th commemoration of the Enmore Martyrs, said that the government remains resolute in preserving the industry while implementing reforms to improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness.
While he acknowledged the challenges of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in meeting production targets, Ali said that changes are necessary to maximise returns on government investments and secure the future of the sector.
“I am not pleased with the failure of the corporation to consistently achieve the production target. I have made this position abundantly clear. I have demanded greater accountability. I have demanded greater efficiency. I have demanded better results.”
President Ali said GuySuCo is advancing an aggressive mechanisation programme to address labour shortages and modernise operations and that 44 per cent of the corporation’s lands have already been converted for mechanical harvesting.
“We know there is an acute shortage of labour. We know that many sugar workers do not want their children to engage in the task of cane cutting. That is why mechanisation is no longer optional. It is necessary.”
Ali spoke of the use of drone technology for crop surveillance and the application of fertilisers and chemicals, noting that these innovations will significantly improve efficiency across the industry.
“We are modernising our factories. We are moving forward with greater value-added sugar production. We are looking at better ways of doing the job, more efficiently, more cost effectively.”
Ali also underscored the importance of the sugar industry to rural communities, noting that its impact extends beyond the estates and workers.
“The responsibility for reviving the sugar industry does not rest with management alone. It rests with all of us because sugar does not only support sugar workers. Sugar supports the entire community, the markets, the stores. It supports an entire ecosystem.”
He said that the government is pursuing a range of options to strengthen the industry, including investments, modern technologies and new approaches to production.
“We have to look to a plan that will strengthen the industry, optimise production, reduce cost of production, whilst at the same time looking at newer areas for growth and development within the sugar plantation,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting sugar workers and ensuring the industry remains a vital contributor to national development.
“The modernisation of the sugar industry is necessary for its survival, resilience and sustainability.”
Ali also announced plans for the development of a 50-acre industrial hub at Enmore, East Coast Demerara, as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to create jobs, support entrepreneurship and expand economic opportunities for Guyanese.
