By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterLESS THAN three weeks before the end of the 2002/2003 sugar crop, there are indications that the sector will not meet its overall production target.
Figures released by sugar industry sources indicate that all sugar estates, which have so far ended their crop year, fell below the desired mark. The original target for this year, was 185,000 tonnes but, after several reviews major players of the sector settled at 169,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, there are reports that operations in the six member countries of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) "began slowing down" during the month of May. Total production for that month was 63,478 metric tonnes down from 108,006 tonnes in April.
In a summary of the activities for last month the SAC said, "although recording very disappointing results, Jamaica still had the highest production with 19,642 tonnes." Belize followed with 15,534 tonnes, Trinidad 13,797 tonnes and St. Kitts 3,026 tonnes. Guyana, which has a two-crop annual cycle, completed its first crop with 1,916 tonnes, giving a total of 344,801 tonnes for 2002/2003.
IMPORTATION
Karl James, general manager of Jamaica Cane Products and Sales, told The Gleaner yesterday that Jamaica's failure to meet its production target had resulted in importation of sugar to supply local demands. For the crop just ended, Frome Sugar Factory recorded production of 53,117 tonnes, 5,383 tonnes less than projected. Bernard Lodge and Appleton Estate manufactured 16,798 tonnes and 20,882 tonnes respectively, which represent a deficit of their 25,000-tonne target. Figures for the remaining sugar producing companies were not available yesterday.
Attempts to contact Livingston Morrison, the chief executive officer of the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) for comments on the matter were unsuccessful.
In May of this year Mr. Morrison, described as "realistic", projections that 2002/03 would be the last year of losses for the SCJ.
He had pointed to "critical assumptions" which influenced the SCJ's position including a major replanting programme, which started last year with the cultivation of some 2,500 hectares of cane.
The company had intended to accelerate the replanting programme over a two to three-year period. During the May planting period the company was expected to plant 4,500 hectares of sugar cane.
The Jamaica Public Sector Entities Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year ending March 2004 indicates that the SCJ had forecast a loss of $547.95 million for this year, which would bring the accumulated deficit to $6,242.68 million. It also stated that in the SCJ's five-year projection, it is estimated that profits would be realised from 2003/04 onwards.
