Anthony Davis, Gleaner Writer
MORRISON
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE 2006 sugar crop at the Long Pond Sugar Factory in Trelawny will commence today, a month earlier that the usual January start.
Kingsley Clarke, chief executive officer of the factory, urged workers during a special crop service yesterday to take the Prime Minister's plan to shut down operations at the facility as a challenge.
"(The) last crop was the worst one in recent times. We only made 4,800 tonnes," Mr. Clarke said. "One of our major setbacks was that we started in March, which was too late."
He told the gathering, which included cane farmers and field workers, to be efficient and united as they work towards the proposed target of 11,000 tonnes.
Guest speaker Livingston Morrison, president of the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ), defended the management of the SCJ amid claims that it was responsible for the last crop being poor.
"When resources are low, one can do so much and no more," Mr. Morrison said, while noting that the SCJ was making every effort to see that the modest target was met.
In defence of the management of the SCJ, Mr. Morrison blamed an accident at the factory which killed one worker, drought and three hurricanes for the poor crop. He contended that the latter were acts of God and, therefore, had nothing to do with poor management.
He said the future of the sugar industry depended on efforts to diversify and rationalise the sector in light of the 33 per cent cut in sugar prices by the European Union.
