By Cedric Johnson, Gleaner WriterSAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland:
ALLAN RICKARDS, the newly elected chairman of the All Island Jamaica Cane Farmers' Association, is upset with the Government, the banking sector and the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) for what he describes as their collective failure to protect the sugar industry.
Addressing cane farmers in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, last Wednesday, Mr. Rickards said that as Member of Parliament for a constituency located in a sugar cane producing parish, Prime Minister Patterson was "not doing enough" for sugar.
"We have made a reasonable proposal to the government to plough back the profit made from refined sugar into the industry," said Mr. Rickards, "Why is it taking so long for them to do this?"
He continued, "The commercial banks that claim to be supportive of agricultural pursuits, have been refusing to extend loan facilities to cane farmers under single digit interest rate," adding that because of this, the 2004 cane replanting programme was behind schedule as there was not adequate available financial capital to fund the replanting.
According to Mr. Rickards, small cane farmers have been the "greatest sufferers" because of their excessively high harvesting rate, which amounts to as much as 60 per cent of their earnings.
A the same time he said there was an apparent need for more diversification within the sugar industry.
