WE UNDERSTAND that the All-Island Cane Farmers Association will seek to protect the interests of its members and the sugar industry. But its president, Alan Rickards, is off the mark with his criticisms of aspects of the Government's plan to save the ailing sector. Lobbying for inefficiently-run sugar factories to remain open cannot be in the best interest of cane farmers and the country generally. Every effort must be made to rationalise the sugar industry and make it more efficient. If this means the eventual closure of inefficiently-operated factories, this must be the route taken by those who are responsible for the management of the sector.
In recent weeks, we have highlighted the importance of sugar to the economy even with the impending cut in price by the European Union. Even in decline, the industry remains the biggest earner of foreign exchange in the agricultural sector and is the largest employer of labour. Its importance for the future lies in making the industry more efficient and the prospects of diversification of sugar cane products ranging from bagasse for generating of electricity and ethanol as a gasolene additive.
This would anticipate an expansion of sugar cane acreage to reverse the 20,000 hectares taken out of the crop over the past 40 years.
Closing down two factories, as the Government contemplates, would have the social consequences deriving from job losses in the townships which have traditionally been dependent on the location of the two factories. We should, however, focus on how existing workers could be re-trained for other opportunities as a result of the rationalisation of the sector.
We urge the All-Island Cane Farmers Association and its president to focus their attention on ways to make the sector more efficient and the kind of support the association could offer to its members in the reform process, to make their operations more efficient. It is not good enough only to heap criticisms at what is on the table. We run the risk of being left behind in light of the rapid changes taking place in the world economy.
It has been noted in the past that the performance of the privately-owned sugar factories, Appleton in St. Elizabeth, and Worthy Park in St. Catherine, has been superior to the five government-owned facilities, which is an indication that inferior management is largely responsible for the decline of the sector. We, therefore, as part of the reform process, should seek to strengthen management at every level. We cannot compromise in this area.
Given its importance to the country, we must save sugar but we must make it more efficient and all stakeholders must come on board for this very critical mission to be successful. We bicker at our own peril.
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