Grind on: Portvale resumes after latest disruption in troubled sugar crop

Grinding at the Portvale Sugar Factory has resumed following another disruption in a turbulent sugar harvest season already marked by industrial unrest and mechanical setbacks.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Barbados Energy and Sugar Company (BESCO) confirmed that production restarted after engineers resolved a mechanical failure that had forced a temporary halt.

It said: “The Barbados Energy and Sugar Company is pleased to announce the resumption of grinding operations at the Portvale Sugar Factory following a brief pause due to a mechanical failure. The temporary halt occurred after one of the mills experienced a malfunction, prompting immediate intervention by the factory’s engineering team.”

BESCO reported that repair crews worked continuously to restore operations in the shortest possible time:

“Engineers at Portvale worked tirelessly around the clock to complete the necessary repairs, ensuring the mill was restored to full operational capacity as quickly as possible.”

Despite repeated stoppages since the start of the harvest, the company maintained that overall output remained on track:

“BESCO assures stakeholders and the public that, despite the short interruption, sugar production for the 2026 Crop has been progressing well.”

The latest disruption adds to a difficult period for the restructured sugar industry. Grinding first halted in mid-March for three days after multiple workers, represented by the Unity Workers Union (UWU), walked off the job over issues related to union recognition and working conditions. Operations resumed after the strike, but intermittent shutdowns persisted due to both mechanical problems and ongoing labour tensions.

Farmers supplying cane to the factory have raised concerns about the knock-on effects of the stoppages, reporting delays in cane acceptance and disruptions to their own operations as the impasse between the union and management continued.

In a related development on Wednesday, the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) announced that the Sugar Industry Staff Association (SISA) had secured recognition as a bargaining unit for BESCO managerial staff, ending a prolonged effort dating back to the early stages of the industry’s restructuring.

CTUSAB general secretary Dennis De Peiza told reporters: “I can assure you that SISA is not part of the ongoing dispute with the sugar industry body at Portvale, that’s a matter which directly relates to the Unity [Workers] Union and the Barbados Workers’ Union, which are the two bodies that have interests there. 

“I can say without any contradiction… SISA is a recognised body, and that issue does not in any way concern SISA at this time.”

The industry has operated under a new management framework since January 15 2024, when two cooperatives, the Agricultural Business Company Ltd (ABC) and BESCO, assumed responsibility for cultivation, milling and sales after the transition from the state-owned Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC).

BESCO, in its latest statement, also thanked workers and partnersfor their support during the disruptions and expressed confidence in completing the crop.

(SZB)