A cane farmer tends to his field in this October 2005 Gleaner file photo. Jamaica was the top Caribbean sugar producer in January 2007. - File Jamaica has emerged top sugar producer in the Caribbean in the month of January, but got to pole position only because the Guyana crop is winding down.
With all the factories having started milling, Jamaica produced 25,296 tonnes of sugar followed by Belize with 9,062 tonnes. Guyana, which has two crops each year, has now finished its second crop with Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago yet to start, said the Sugar Association of the Caribbean.
Barbados' agriculture officials have been signalling that they are no longer keen on supplying raw sugar to world markets - its European quota is 32,097 tonnes - saying that the country's 'branded' product sold to retail outlets and supplied to hotels in the United Kingdom were turning out to be a more lucrative market.
Agriculture Minister Senator Erskine Griffith also announced during that country's Budget Debate in the final week of March that Barbados was looking additional markets in Ireland, Canada, and the United States for its branded sugars.
Still, the SAC, whose chairman Karl James is also general manager of Jamaica's sugar marketing company Jamaica Cane Products Sales, linked the industry's production difficulties to weather.
"The members of the SAC are facing challenges in production for this year, caused mainly by adverse weather conditions," said a release issued from James' office.
"However, we remain optimistic that the healthy quotas to EU and USA this year will be an incentive."
Overall production for the month was 34,358 metric tonnes of sugar ?— 14,338 tonnes of which was exported - pushing total output to 215,926 tonnes since July 1, 2006.
Within the seven-month timeline, Guyana's dominance was unquestionable with 169,197 tonnes. Its exports topped 151,840 tonnes, within combined foreign sales of 164,897 tonnes by three of six SAC member countries.
Jamaica has had no exports in the period, while Trinidad which is about to exit sugar has supplied a marginal 271 tonnes to Caricom markets only. StKitts is no longer in sugar.
SAC crop (tonnes)
Production | Exports |
| Jul 2006-Jan 2007 | Jul 2006-Jan 2007 |
| Barbados | ?— | ?— |
| Belize | 18,433 | 12,785 |
| Guyana | 169,197 | 151,841 |
| Jamaica | 28,296 | 0 |
| Trinidad | 0 | 271 |
| TOTAL | 215,926 | 164,897 |
SAC exports (tonnes)
| Jan. 2007 | Jul 2006-Jan 2007 |
| EU Protocol | 12,000 | 127,558 |
| EU SPS | - | - |
| US Quota | 0 | 16,466 |
| World Market | 0 | 20 |
| Caricom | 2,338 | 20,853 |
| TOTAL | 14,338 | 164,897 |
|
