What can be done about Guyana’s sugar industry

Dear Editor,
About a century ago, Japan was perceived as an undeveloped nation; today it is seen as a developed, economic giant. How did this transformation take place?
The Japanese sent people abroad to find out how to do things. They then implemented what was learnt.
Which brings me to the topic at hand — what to do about Guyana’s ailing sugar industry?
There are many large-scale sugarcane producers in the world. Brazil, India, Thailand, China are a few examples. Perhaps what GuySuCo can do is to send people abroad to find out exactly how these countries manage to produce sugar cheaply for the world. By doing so, Guyana will get a better insight into how to reduce the production cost of sugar and increase productivity.
In the meantime, there is really no need to “downsize” the sugar industry, as GuySuCo would still need to service/repay its debt. Only by increasing production and reducing the production costs can GuySuCo ever hope to service/repay its debts. Foreign currency would as well be lost from the export revenues, and nearly 5,000 sugar workers would be left without an income.
Not only does “downsizing” the sugar industry reduce the amount of sugar produced; the rum industry and maybe a couple of banks would also be affected.
The PPP/C Government managed to subsidize sugar and grow Guyana’s economy. I am sure everyone would agree that the APNU/AFC Government can do likewise, especially with oil revenues around the corner.

Yours faithfully,
Sean Ori