Home News Sugar declined by 60% under APNU/AFC in just 4 years –...
…says APNU/AFC handling of agri sector one of their worst travesties
On day three of the budget debates, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had cause to set the record straight when it comes to the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government’s bungling of the sugar industry, noting that in just four years sugar declined by 60 per cent under their watch.
To a gallery filled with school children, APNU Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan used his presentation to castigate the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government for Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) missing its target last year.
Next, it was Mustapha’s turn, and the Minister, after criticising Jordan’s debating skills for focusing heavily on his prepared speech, proceeded to highlight the APNU/AFC’s mishandling of the agriculture sector, particularly in relation to sugar.
“One of the most dismal performances of the APNU/AFC, agriculture. They should be the last persons to speak on agriculture. They destroyed the agriculture sector. Mr Speaker, the sugar industry started to collapse under the APNU+AFC, they discriminated and took out spite against the sugar workers and they wanted to punish the sugar workers of this country,” Mustapha said.
The Agriculture Minister noted that contrary to what APNU/AFC would have the public believe, sugar actually started its steep decline on their watch. He noted that production fell from over 230,000 tonnes in 2015, when PPP/C demitted office, to not even reaching 100,000 tonnes by 2019.
“They want the people to believe sugar started decline under the PPP/C. I want to give you the records. In 2015, the last year we were in Government, sugar production was 231,071 metric tonnes. In 2019, sugar production dropped to 92,256 tonnes, a 60 per cent decrease in sugar under APNU/AFC’s time.”
“They closed down four sugar factories. Honorable Suresh Singh said last night, how he was affected when his father was sent home. And there are thousands of Suresh Singh’s around the country whose fathers were sent home. Whose parents were sent home, who never had to take care of their families. That is the legacy of the APNU/AFC.”
Mustapha went on to accuse the former Government of closing down the sugar industry for political reasons and a belief that the sugar workers are supporters of the PPP/C. The Minister, who declared faith that GuySuCo will reach the ambitious 101,000 tonne target set for them this year, noted that the Government will continue to support the sugar workers, just like it supports everyone else.
“Mr Speaker the reason they closed the estates was because of political reasons, they have a problem with sugar workers in this country, they think that sugar workers are supporting the PPP/C and they want to punish them, but I want them to know that as long as the PPPC is in Government every single worker including sugar workers will benefit, and we will continue to do that, we don’t have any explanation to give.”
Between 2020 and 2024, the PPP/C Government invested a whopping $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 estates, with almost 40 per cent of the estates now automated. Additionally, efforts have been made to recapitalise the industry by replacing broken infrastructure and systems to improve 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.
And the Government has already declared that changes will be made in the management structure of GuySuCo this year, signaling a renewed commitment to achieving higher productivity and greater collaboration between all stakeholders in the sugar industry.
