Ganja vs sugar: Confusion in APNU camp as member says shut down estates to plant ganja, Norton says no

…Norton also contradicts himself on 2024 position to downsize industry

Confusion reigns in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) camp after a bold claim from one member that the party intends to replace sugar estates with ganja cultivation if elected.

Party leader Aubrey Norton was quick to contradict the statement, reaffirming his commitment to keeping the sugar estates open, a move that raises questions about internal coherence and policy direction.
During APNU’s campaign launch on Sunday, member Leon Saul declared, “Sugar done, hemp and cannabis in… When the oil is done, hemp and cannabis will still be growing.”
In fact, Saul represents a political party called “Legalise Cannabis Guyana”, which forms part of the APNU.
In a statement the following day, APNU contradicted Saul’s announcements.
“The APNU Coalition wishes to re-emphasise its official position on the future of GuySuCo. As its presidential candidate Aubrey C. Norton stated at a press conference held on Friday, 27th June 2025, the APNU Coalition has absolutely no intention of closing down GUYSUCO and abandoning sugar,” the statement reads.
It continued that “[Norton] emphasised that GuySuCo will remain in sugar by stating that ‘much potential also exists where the sugar cane plant itself can be utilised to produce not only raw and processed sugar but also ethanol, livestock feed, bagasse board, and the cogeneration of electricity.’ No estates will therefore be closed.”
The APNU statement made no mention of the announcement by its member to move into cannabis cultivation, which would be illegal.
In fact, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall highlighted that such large-scale cannabis cultivation – as seemingly envisioned by Saul – would constitute drug trafficking.
“Planting marijuana on that scale is serious; it’s a serious criminal offence. That’s large-scale drug trafficking you’re talking about,” Nandlall pointed out on Tuesday evening during his programme “Issues in the News”.
Nandlall also drew attention to the fact that APNU’s statement did not debunk or repudiate Saul’s announcement at the campaign launch.
The difference in positions between two members of the same party vying for election at the upcoming polls highlights that it has no clear policy to govern the country – a position which General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Bharrat Jagdeo has repeatedly stated.

APNU contradicts previous position
In fact, the APNU’s statement in itself contradicts an earlier position from the party. In August 2024, Norton had revealed that an APNU administration would downsize the sugar industry.
“I believe that sugar has to be produced in limited quantities,” Norton had stated during a Globespan 24X7 programme.
The People’s National Congress (PNC)-led APNU has a controversial history with the sugar industry.
Under the David Granger-led APNU+AFC government, the administration had closed four sugar estates across the country, sending some 7000-plus workers on the breadline.
In 2016, the Wales Estate was closed, and the following year, the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates were also shut down.
In this regard, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, in a statement on Wednesday, labelled the PNC/APNU and its recent statement as “disingenuous”.
“These reckless decisions were made despite a report from the Commission of Inquiry into GUYSUCO, commissioned by the APNU/AFC themselves, which warned of the devastating long-term impacts of closures… They ignored it, and thousands of families paid the price,” Mustapha reminded.
Meanwhile, President Dr Irfaan Ali recently disclosed that GuySuCo must become a hub of rural economic development, expanding its operations to support other crops such as rice, cassava, and corn. He noted too that it can support livestock operations, agro-processing hubs, farmer training and extension services, as well as fabrication and engineering services.
The president had also revealed that one of the strategies being looked at by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration is to elevate sugar workers into part-ownership roles within the industry, ensuring that they can own the means of production and increase their earnings.

PPP revitalise
Between 2020 and 2024, the Government invested $45 billion in the sugar industry to revitalise the sector and make it a vital component of the country’s developmental plans.
The focus has been on modernising operations, including the mechanisation of Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) estates, with nearly 40 per cent of the estates now automated.
Additionally, efforts are underway to recapitalise the industry through the replacement of outdated infrastructure and systems, aimed at improving overall efficiency.
With a focus on strengthening internal cooperation, the Government hopes to bring the sugar industry back to its former glory, contributing once again to the nation’s development and economic growth.
The Government has already declared that changes will be made in the management structure of GuySuCo this year, signalling a renewed commitment to achieving higher productivity and greater collaboration between all stakeholders in the sugar industry.
GuySuCo produced 6,738 tonnes of sugar for its first crop of 2024, falling short of the initial target of 16,000 tonnes. In total, less than 50,000 tonnes of sugar were produced in 2024, with President Ali warning that heads will roll if GuySuCo’s 2025 first crop targets aren’t met. In total, the Government is projecting the production of over 100,000 tonnes of sugar for 2025.
Last year, some $15.5 billion was expended on support to the sugar industry, including the acquisition of six new cane harvesters, conversion of 2,734 hectares of land for mechanised cultivation and harvesting, and rehabilitation of critical revetment works.
In 2025, an additional 3,068 hectares of land will be converted to support mechanisation. Key investments will be made to acquire additional field equipment, rehabilitate field infrastructure, and construct over 17 kilometres (km) of all-weather roads across the industry.
For these efforts, some $13.3 billion was approved during the budget estimates – as part of the Agriculture Ministry’s $104.6 billion budget – to support and rehabilitate the sugar industry this year.