Rose Hall Sugar Estate reopening could be delayed – GuySuCo CEO

− Blairmont to restart production this week

Rose Hall Sugar Estate, one of the estates closed by the APNU/AFC Government that was set to be reopened in the second crop of next year, could see some amount of delay as a result of the torrential rains and the flooding that have afflicted sugar estates in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
In a recent interview, Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sasenarine Singh explained that while they are still aiming to reopen the estate in the second crop of 2022, there could be some delay.
Rose Hall, like Albion, has been affected by torrential rainfalls that have flooded cane fields. In fact, Singh had explained that Albion was hit with 74 per cent more rainfall in the first half of the year than the 66-year annual average of 736 millimeters.

This had resulted in the entire cane cultivation at Albion being inundated. Rose Hall, while also affected, is not in as bad a shape as Albion.
“Phase 1 of the reopening of the estates will be Rose Hall. The instructions are full steam ahead and that’s what we’re working towards… Rose Hall is not in as bad a shape as Albion. Because the drainage conditions are a bit slightly better. They have both sluices and pumps. Albion has to rely on pumps exclusively to drain itself. So, it will be delayed,” the CEO explained.
“But we have to wait on a final assessment at the end of the month to know what is the full extent of the delay. But we’re still working to a work programme, a comprehensive work programme, to deliver the Rose Hall Estate by the second crop of 2022.”

When it comes to the Blairmont Estate, Singh said that sugar production is scheduled to restart on the estate this week. The CEO also noted at the time Blairmont was doing steam trials, which is essentially testing the estate factory’s capacity.
“Blairmont is doing what you call steam trials, the dry run of the factory. Which means Blairmont will start sugar production sometime next week. That’s good news, because after what that estate went through, to be able to start sugar production (this week), three weeks before the planned date, tells you the ingenuity and determination of team GuySuCo. We are going to do this,” the CEO explained.
Back in 2016, the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government closed the Wales Estate, and the following year, shut down the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates, putting over 7000 sugar workers on the breadline.
The downsizing of the sugar industry saw only the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Estates being in operation. The assets of the closed estates were put under the control of the Special Purpose Unit of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) for divestment.
Under the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government, the corporation is eyeing the reopening of Enmore and Rose Hall Estates by 2022. It is expected that the Rose Hall factory will be the first to become operational, while the Skeldon factory will be returned to operation by 2023.