Gov’t receives 20 proposals to industrialise Enmore Estate sugar production – Pres Ali

The Enmore Sugar Estate, one of several sugar estates that were closed down and abandoned by the previous A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government, is now poised for transformation, with some 20 proposals being submitted to industrialise sugar production at the estate.
This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali who, on Monday, revealed that the Government is keenly reviewing the documents.
“We already have more than 20 business proposals that will send industries manufacturing and expanding production right here in Enmore… The role in sustaining livelihoods, communities, and entire regions remains vital even today. Therefore, let no one dare tell you that sugar is a relic, that it is dead, that it is a burden, because they would not only be wrong, they would be dangerously mistaken. Sugar is still vital, especially to the rural economy.” The Head of State said.
On this point, the Guyanese leader highlighted that sugar, through Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), supports about 20 percent of Guyana’s population, serving as a hub of social and economic life in rural regions.
He further emphasised that the industry not only sustains cane harvesters but also a wide network of workers, including mechanics, drivers, vendors, engineers, and technicians, as well as households, shops, and schools dependent on sugar-driven commerce.
“Make no mistake, GuySuCo possesses the best machinists there are globally. The global machining industry historically recruited machinists and fabricators from GuySuCo. We have to leverage this human capital and human potential. And in embracing this future that I speak of, there will be some exciting opportunities, crop diversification, skills diversification and income diversification.”
“It (GuySuCo) has been a provider of healthcare, housing, education, sports, and recreation, and perhaps most critically, drainage services for communities. The canals and pump stations that GuySuCo maintains don’t only protect its cane fields; they protect entire villages. They shield rice farmers, cash crop plots, and livestock pens across large acreage of land across our coastline. Without GuySuCo’s drainage systems, entire communities could flood in a single night of hard rain,” he added.
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 of 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.