Private growers want canes reaped early

By Sheria Brathwaite

Despite the government’s moves to sell off its stake in the sugar industry, private growers are hoping for an early start of next year’s harvest though they have warned that 2024 might not be a bumper year.

After three years of a steady rise in canes reaped and sugar and molasses made, the Barbados Sugar Industry Limited (BSIL), which represents the private growers, said the streak may be broken by hot, dry weather during a crucial period of sugarcane growth this year.

Intense heat during August is being blamed for stunting the growth of canes, according to BSIL chairman Mark Sealy. Unlike the late start of the season in the past years, Sealy said it was important for the 2024 harvest to start no later than mid-February.

He told Barbados TODAY: “We had an extended [dry] time, which is very unusual between September and October, of about four to six weeks where it was very hot and we didn’t have any rain. In November, we had an abundance of rain; however, we feel that while the canes are looking reasonably good, we are not sure how that six-week period would have affected the ratoon canes and it may have negatively affected the plant canes, which will be for 2025. But, we are hoping for a reasonable crop. I’m not sure if we will be able to do as much as we did this last crop, where we were up by as much as 20 per cent. So we will see how it goes next year.” 

Compared to last year, the island produced 15 per cent more cane, harvesting 109 493 tonnes of cane, producing 7 048 tonnes of molasses and 6 848 tonnes of sugar. In 2022, from 100 000 tonnes of harvested cane, 6 900 tonnes of molasses and 6 800 tonnes of sugar were produced. This was an increase over 2021 when 5 251 tonnes of sugar were reaped and 6 433 tonnes of molasses were produced.  

The BSIL chairman added that preparations were in full swing with the farmers fertilising fields and getting operations for the start of next year’s harvest season.

“We are hoping for an early start,” he said. “We know that there is an ongoing transition of the ownership of the Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC), that Co-op Energy (Barbados Sustainable Energy Co-operative Society Limited) is taking over, as seen in the press. In any transition, there are always challenges but we are hoping for an early start, with the latest start date being Thursday, February 15.”

When contacted, chief executive of the state-owned BAMC Orlanda Atherley as well as Portvale factory manager Marlon Munroe said they could not provide a comment about the preparations for next year’s crop.

Multiple efforts to reach Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir were unsuccessful.

Co-op Energy is expected to take over the running of the sugar manufacturing business from BAMC, including the generation of electricity from the sugar cane by-product, bagasse.

In October, about 370 BAMC workers were severed to make way for the transition as the government moved ahead with getting out of the sugar industry.

Barbados TODAY understands that takeover talks are still ongoing and are at a sensitive stage. 

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb