“We are not walking away from sugar” – Head of State

…as Guyana seeks help from Guatemala, India to manage, restructure industry

Guatemala, a country with its own sugar industry that Guyana has been developing increasing ties with, is expected to provide management support for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) once talks are concluded, as the Government seeks to revitalise the industry.

President Dr Irfaan Ali made this revelation during the opening ceremony of the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) delegates conference on Wednesday. In addition to Guatemala, which is expected to establish an embassy in Guyana this year, the President further noted that talks are ongoing with India for help with the sugar sector. According to him, structural management changes are needed.
“For GuySuCo, we’re talking with India, with Guatemala, to find the technical support service to complement the management of GuySuCo. We’re bringing in support management, to enable us to have the best, most well-equipped management service to drive the innovation, the change and the survival of the sugar industry.”
“The Board, the Chairman of the Board, and management, are working diligently to get to the target of this year. And they’ve convinced me that they’re going to achieve the target and an incremental increase in the target. But we know we have to make and improve the institutional structure. We have to make structural changes, at the management, to achieve what we want to achieve.”
President Ali also provided details on how much money and effort the Government has invested into resuscitating GuySuCo. He also revealed the progress on the Rose Hall Estate, which is expected to be reopened next month. According to him, the factory is 95 per cent complete.

“In three years, we have spent $17 billion to recapitalise the sugar industry. We’ve spent $8.8 billion in Rose Hall; we’ve reemployed almost 2000 employees. Added back to the payroll, The Rose Hall factory is 95 per cent completed. This is what we’re doing.”
“Let me be clear. We are not walking away from sugar. We are going to make the investments. We are going to ensure we invest in agriculture. We’re conscious of the environment,” President Ali further said.
GuySuCo has set itself a target to produce 60,858 metric tonnes of sugar for 2023, with the Albion/Port Mourant Estate only recently surpassing its weekly target. With Rose Hall Estate commencing grinding operations in late September 2023, this will further strengthen the industry’s production capacity.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the sugar company, Sasenarine Singh related, “The investment of over $17 billion in the field and factory during the last three years funded by the Government of Guyana have started to show some of the expected results despite the entire project to rebuild the largest estate at Albion was constrained by the great floods of 2021.”
He further lauded efforts to overcome the flood crisis of 2021, and their efforts to plant the canes in 2022, which has culminated in the opportunity to now harvest better quality canes in 2023 and produce more sugar.
According to the CEO, workers at all the sugar estates and the Demerara Sugar Terminal have made a difference in the objective of the corporation in surpassing the 60,000 MT benchmark for 2023.
The Albion/Port Mourant Estate is slated to produce 47 per cent of the expected sugar production in this second crop to meet the annual target.
Final adjustments are being made to the Rose Hall Sugar Estate, as it will be making a comeback by mid-September to recommence sugar production.
The Government’s efforts to reopen the Rose Hall Estate saw a whopping $1.1 billion being expended this year to have the facility up and running. A summary of the major works included both civil and structural interventions – including rehabilitation of the cane gantry, pre-milling, milling, boiler and process house roofing.
There was also the replacement of a vacuum pan, condenser structures, a chimney, and servicing of all equipment. (G3)