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Sugar Cane Production: A Race Against the Clock

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UK Guardian
Photo: UK Guardian

At 32min.35sec of the Dr. David Estwick presentation of the Democratic Labour party (DLP) 2013 Manifesto Launch he laid out government’s strategic plan for restructuring  the sugar cane industry for generating valueaddeds by accepting financing from the Japanese.  That is diversification: using sugar cane to generate power (25,000 megawatts) by reducing the fuel bill by 150 million dollars among other recommendations. The cane industry restructuring project (CIRP) is estimated to cost 230 million dollars.

This project which Dr. Estwick unfolded during the political campaign in February 2013 has taken on critical importance given the planned expiry of European Union sugar quotas in 2015.  The resultant action is that it “would lead to a reduction in the price in the European market.  This in turn would make the EU market less attractive to the ACP and other higher cost exporters.” The bottomline is that countries in the Caribbean (including Barbados) would lose its preferential status in the EU market.

If the APD debate is any thing to go by it is unlikely Barbados and other Caribbean islands will be able to influence the 2015 deadline. Our only hope is if the quotas are removed by the EU it will create a problem for sugar cane refiners in the EU as well.  Barbados will be banking on the European Commission extending to deadline to 2017-20 given this consideration.

What is evident is that the EU’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint which has given rise to the APD. And now EU’s further commitment to replacing imported sugar under the ACP-EU arrangement.   These two key forex generators (in the case of sugar other GDP factors come into play) are under threat. How Barbados is able to strategically respond in the narrow window available becomes a national imperative.

In light of the EC aggressive time table to expire preferential treatment for our sugar, Dr. Estwick’s plan to restructure the sugar cane industry has taken on urgent significance. Although there is nothing to suggest we couldn’t develop other markets for our sugar, the reality is that Barbados will not be the only game in town and even if we were to acquire new markets the price would be unattractive. The rapid diversification of the sugar cane industry as outlined by Estwick must be the plan.

Can we do it?

All of the above is detailed in a summary by David Jessop who is director of the Caribbean Council.

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146 responses to “Sugar Cane Production: A Race Against the Clock”

  1. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Dr.Estwick…? Wrong man sorry…Sugar dead for sure.
    EU also cunningly fed in its demise….now sugar on the world market is a top crop again and we were out-tricked in ridding ourselves of ours thru a wicked decreasing quotapricing strategy….”they” wicked

  2. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    By the way…..The five John Deere tractors get here yet? We could be serious though?Barbados sitting on a gold mine…ask the guyanese

  3. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Old onion bags

    Can you name one BLP minister of agriculture who is remember for his contribution to advancing agriculure in Barbados?

  4. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Old onions bags and rags

    What is the gold mine and where is the gold exactly?

  5. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    Why doesn’t the government come clean with the people and tell them that King Sugar in Bim is dead, dead, dead. The only thing left to do with that industry is to bury it. The prophetic wish of EWB has eventually come to pass.

    What sugar industry what! This country can’t even produce sufficient sugar for its local consumption requirements how can it really then be seen as a forex earner when production is very much below agreed export quotas and way below production levels that are totally unsustainable as a viable industry.
    As it stands (given the current level of output which is unsustainably way below the required break-even point) this industry probably spends more forex to keep it in ICU than it currently earns for the country.
    Where is the economic sense in all of this?

    As far as Dr. Estwick pie-in-sky dream of the sugar cane industry generating such large amounts of electricity man that is the biggest joke the monkeys share with the rats while partying in the cow itch filled fields.

    First thing is that the lands have to be put back into extensive production to cultivate the amount of cane fibre needed to be burnt to generate anything close to 25K megawatts to power 50, 000 households. The industry can’t even find money to keep production at a level in excess of 20,000 tons far less to maintain sugar cane cultivation at levels needed to supply 25 K megawatts of power.

    Skipper, get real! How is this power generation thing is going to work? Are we going to have weekly or monthly harvesting of the sugar cane in order to burn in our lone factory at Andrews? Or are we going reap hundred of thousands of cane at each crop time store the fibre and burn it throughout the year?
    We certainly can’t burn the cane fibre in the factory to generate electricity which can then be stored up for future consumption as we do rum or store water?

    It’s just a load of bullshit and cow dung coming from the Dr. and his leaderless administration. Even the idea of putting fertilizer to ripe canes in January appears to make more sense than the madness emanating from the knotted head of this neutered pit bull.
    Yes, ac, prove us wrong with your WTE alternative. Maybe burning dead bodies can produce more gas than burning imaginary sugar cane blades long since disappeared from these fields and hills beyond recall.

  6. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Miller
    Who told you that the old feedstock for the co-generation plant at Andrews is bagasse? Another knucklehead commenting on what he does not know, you are worst kind of fool.

  7. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Dummy
    During the BLP’s 14 year reign….(correct me if I am wrong)..an ALL OUT effort (resources, money den) was directed towards TOURISM and INTERNL.BUSINESS….( we sought to take the ball at the bounce )…AND BARBADOS WAS REAPING SWEETS( $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ den)…..I lie..? Up came you dummy n entourage…wid stupid talk about “diversifying when tings were good”…Now what could have been more diversifying ….than putting international business on the height we saw during OAS rein?

    Look here dummy it ent our fault now that you n friends… must come up wid NEW ideas how now to rekindle agriculture ( now tourism has decline n IBC’s dipped)..you all said you had answers just up to February 21st forget ?… Aptly too,you so were given a mandate to show them..now you dummy come in here sulking like Pip.. looking for answers from us….Great Expectations !

  8. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Barbados is not and never was a gold mine Onions. If you cannot seen that we have always been perpetual borrower, borrowing today to paid debts from yesterday, that’s what this country is all about.

    Look at the crumbling infrastructure and you’ll see what I mean.

  9. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Still lookin for answers eh……wait wait and wait some more …..Dummy you all were always this way….bankrupt of ideas and stubborn to change….MTFP working still right?…..Man wanna up shoite creek driftin fast to the rapids wid out a paddle or a spoon….is den ya might get WE
    answer

  10. haha10 Avatar
    haha10

    Low tourist arrivals and spend, closing businesses and hotels, no new foreign investment, sugar falling, reduction in the international business sector.

    Barbados better wake up. The perfect storm is brewing. Will we be able to handle it.

  11. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ The Dummy @ Dumo | June 17, 2013 at 7:46 AM

    And if it is not bagasse, what is it Dummy?
    Let us assume it is river tamarind and other plants. How would that resuscitate the sugar industry?

    Any revival of the sugar cane industry must as a consequence produce the sugar cane plant whose physical composition is mainly fibre that result is bagasse.

    Are you now going to scientifically ‘rearrange’ the sugar cane plant to produce river tamarind at fast growing continuously high output levels to generate 25K mega watts continuously throughout they year?

    While the plants growing the electricity generation horse will be starving. So why don’t you get a kick-start and ride the nightmare of a dreamy idea to high heavens?

    Would the sugar cane fields now growing cow itch and wild bush be used to grow the co-generation material or would it be “fueled” by the degenerate hot air emanating from your mouth or the sewage crap from the other exit orifice for your thought processes?

    What is holding back you the wise one along with the silenced gunslinger from achieving this long talked about salvation of an electricity generation project? The lobby group of the BL&P and oil importing interests? Or is it Foreign Money?

    Speak up Dummy, we are not hearing you!

  12. haha10 Avatar
    haha10

    Chris Sinckler needs to be removed immediately and allow a new MOF to inject some confidence and serious action in this market. Since Freundel has not the foggiest idea of what to do or what is happening, let him continue being a poster PM. Freundel Stuart is by far the laziest PM Barbados has ever had. the man dont do one shite when the days come. I doubt the man does even shite and if he does he probably doesnt wipe.

    Dems cant win an election on lies and F-up Barbados like this.

  13. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Dummy
    The lateTom Adams is who opened up international business links bout here….Owen moved it from a minor contributor to No.2 Revenue Earner outdone only by tourism then…..Rather than give thanks we hearing Shhh. Thank Tom who during the manufacture era hub nubbed wid the Morons and had the foresight to open up a GOLD MINE….it time you all show something of your own… instead of playin blackbird wanna raid dove nest of ideas..

  14. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    corr Mormons

  15. Silly thee Avatar
    Silly thee

    Before the Barbados Labour Party assume the reins of Government in 1994, Barbados was at a standstill. Businesses in town were closing down left right and centre. The darkest period in the history of
    Barbados was between 1988 and 1994. Everything was bleak bleak bleak. The BLP saved Barbados when they came to power in 1994 .
    Now we back once more in the doldrums. I wonder why?

  16. Dr Love Avatar
    Dr Love

    @Barbados.
    Look we children ,just let loose on the World.
    Clueless Cluts,making pretend.
    Wanna be’s.
    Wanna be like the RedMen,Wanna be like Americans.Wanna be RICH.
    Problem is we also wanna be EDUCATED,and we are not.
    Oh Yeah we been to UWI.
    LOL
    What about REAL EDUCATION ;WORLD education.COMMON SENSE,most of all WORLD EXPERIENCE,real time..
    WE all LEARNED BRAIN SURGERY from a BOOK. BIG DEAL> all we are is PISS and WIND.Lota letters after we names and absoluitely SOD ALL else.
    Now we reaping the benefits of these men of LETTERS these LEARNED IDIOTS.
    ONE EYED TWATS leading and ARMY of BLIND IDIOTS.
    You right Bushie. Take em all, Take any of em and you be hard pushed to make one IDIOT from TWO of them.
    Running the Country,YES For SURE, RUNNING IT INTO THE DIRT>
    PHUCKING IMBECILES,WELL PAID THO,they sure of that.
    We can all be starving(Soon will be) and YOU KNOW the LAST POT EMPTY will be the POLITICAL POT.
    Fruendel MUGABE AMIN DADDA will be up the front EYES WIDE SHUT,spoon in hand Gollopin down whats left quicker than you can say DEVALUATION.
    The WORLD runs Rings round these NEW Niggers.
    When I does hear shoite like this about generation of electricty I know we in REAL SHITE FOR SURE.
    RANTING of UNWORLDLY MADMEN.

    @Alvin.
    Before you say a word
    PHUC OFF!!!

  17. Konacat Avatar
    Konacat

    dr. love

    you went to school?

  18. Ready done Avatar
    Ready done

    If all these cane grounds turn to bush land barbados going to grow so much weed.

    I think cane should be made to fuel, we got the everything necessary.

  19. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Dr. Love………..as forthright and articulate as ever without missing a beat.

  20. David Avatar
    David

    Word on the afternoon talk show is that hundreds of sugar workers have gotten ‘letters’.

  21. peltdownman Avatar
    peltdownman

    “Gotten”!!? David perleeeze! Why not “received”?

  22. ac Avatar
    ac

    miller a memo from Estwick states He is laughing at all the cow dung u just put up in here…..

  23. David Avatar
    David

    @peltdownman

    Nothing like a colloquialism to ‘ram’ home a point.

  24. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ ac | June 17, 2013 at 1:00 PM |

    The heavily sedated jump-up is under such heavy manners he can’t even talk far less laugh.

    Let him pay the workers he just “fired” with the same free cow dung instead of sending them to the NIS.
    Btw, given the amount of bovine crap that emanates from his mouth he can dry it out with the hot air piffle he generates and burn it to supply that 25,000 megawatts of electricity to power the crematorium needed to burn the bodies that might soon be dropping down from starvation when the forex runs out and the country can’t afford that $700 million food bill anymore.

    Tell the same pit bull that the miller is a faster gunslinger than he. He might like shooting off his mouth but the miller from his hip. The miller would be prepared to meet him at the OK corral in Andrews factory only when he gets Fumble to put a tongue back into the mouth of the once boisterous pit bull of an agricultural minister. We really hate to shoot dumb animals, you know!

    Only then would we listen to him “shout” about sugar or on any matter of generating power from hot air and cow itch.

  25. ac Avatar
    ac

    miller the minister sure do have time time to engage you with your politicAl hog wash after all nobody elected u forany thing and at this point and time your frustration has gotten the best of your intellect when it comes to harvesting sugAr cane as a source for energy.

  26. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2343256/Britain-10billion-boost-stronger-ties-US-Europe-promised-leaders-wearing-ties-all.html

  27. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    ac

    Don’t forget that Miller is Jerome ‘ Ladybird’ Walcott. He was to wipe the floor with John Boyce in Ch Ch South recently but that didn’t pan out. The residents of that Contitutency like to have a good idea of the gender of an individual before send it to represent them the House of Assembly.

  28. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    I though it interesting that the chairman of the Public Account Committee of Parliament had to concede and apologies for her conduct at the that committees recent meeting about NHC. She apologized to the members of the committee, the Lower House and the Public Servants for ambushing them at the meeting and for conducting the meeting outside of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

  29. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ ac | June 17, 2013 at 2:02 PM |

    So who and where is the engaging minister? Hurrying back to the cane fields in Brereton as his boss recommended to Bajans engaged in bureaucratic bullshit?
    Is he the Dummy that playing he “Dumber” than at Dumo?

    Listen ac, when there is no sugar crop next year don’t worry looking around for a scapegoat. You guys already have a whole multi-faceted “ram” goat you can always blame from the BLP to the white man. Or you can even argue that the industry had to go as proof of true liberation of the black population (Negro man would agree) since it reminds them of their dark satanic slavery past.

    One thing you must congratulate your present leader for is that he sometimes opens his turgid mouth to allow it to run like a true sick nigger backside. By associating working in the cane fields with torpid stupidity only fit for those who are uneducated in the ‘Classics’ one can only conclude he was using a scenario analogous to a baker wanting to bake bread without handling the flour.
    How can you have a sugar industry without working in cane fields which he horribly detests and denigrates as only fit for the “ignorant class”?

    @ The Dummy @ Dumo | June 17, 2013 at 3:23 PM

    Seems the miller has attracted like a fly in the ointment another closeted jackass to his Martian dipstick.
    Dummy I am no “Ladybird “Walcott with a Venus flytrap neither is he a batty minded man like Baffy.

    Ac can tell you how after many tries and trials she has “gro(a)ned “accustomed and accommodating the miller’s foot. I have no interest in your shallow dumb ass grease monkey tail!

  30. Dr Love Avatar
    Dr Love

    Konacat | June 17, 2013 at 9:53 AM |

    dr. love

    you went to school?

    Try Jus leavin off the ?

  31. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    That would be a lie with the ?

  32. David Avatar
    David

    So what is the deal with sending workers from Andrews factory? David Ellis advised the BWU has given its approval.

  33. Dr Love Avatar
    Dr Love

    @Dumo
    You are obviously a Lawyer/ politician/yard fowl.
    So let me answer in the vernacular.

    It is for me to know and you to guess at.

  34. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    The Andrews factory has been closed by BAMC and will not report until the crushing season of 2016 at which time the sugar industry would have been restructured to a cane industry producing 30 tons of sugar and a lot of electricity.

  35. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Dr Love
    Have you considered I may be all three?

  36. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Dr. Love,
    Have I gotten to you? Based on your rant, I would recommend a serious psychological assessment and treatmen regimen. You got serious anger management problems. And yur mouth is filthy. Can’t you carry on a civilized discussion without invective and vile language? Get hel, fast.

  37. Dr Love Avatar
    Dr Love

    @DUMO
    You consider your self worthy of consideration?

    With or without the ?

  38. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ The Dummy @ Dumo | June 17, 2013 at 4:45 PM
    Hey, plastic Dummy, why don’t y ou leave Dr. love and the miller’s ??? sexuality alone and deal with the very Big Question posed by David BU?

    “So what is the deal with sending workers from Andrews factory? David Ellis advised the BWU has given its approval.”

    In light of your much vaunted No layoffs commitment and confidence of resuscitating a dead industry with 25,000 megawatts of shocking power how come those Andrews’ worker must go?

    After all, the Knight of St. Andrew JCT would be rolling in his upside downside gay grave knowing how you have tricked Bajans into thieving a government.
    Looks like déjà vu 1992 allover again right Dummy?

    Who will be next to travel to the Humphrey Walcott Building? The same cane field workers your man of haughty arrogance- who trots around with his face set up like he is always smelling human shit- described as black cattle so much as to put the dead King Redvers Don Donald Dyall to abject shame if not poverty?

    The worst thing any leader can do to his people is to behave ‘poor-great and powful foolish’! The current idiot is just that!

  39. Dr Love Avatar
    Dr Love

    @Alvin.
    You have awoken.!!
    Must have been a long refreshing nap.
    I see you are as sharp and on the ball as ever.

  40. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Miller
    You is a real real fool, no ordinary fool but a good and proper fool. Fit for purpose. The Andrews factory won’t reopen until 2016.

    You only vex cause the bunch of idiots from 94 to 2008 never restructured the sugar industry.

  41. Luvs Bim Avatar
    Luvs Bim

    This may be of interest

    http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130616/business/business6.html

  42. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Miller
    What you made of the apologies tendered by the leader of the opposition today, in her capacity of Chairman of the PAC? It was shocking to hear Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition leader apologize to the PAC members, the Parliament and the Civil zservants for abusing her position and proceed against the Standing Orders of Parliament.
    How far the mighty have fallen, can’t even get a responsible opposition.

  43. ac Avatar
    ac

    miller
    The Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC) manages and operates the sugar industry. It looks after the grinding of the canes, the refining of the sugar and the marketing and sale of the product.

    With Europe drastically reducing the price it is willing to pay for Barbados sugar (to safeguard it own beet sugar industry), the BAMC is well into a new strategy.
    In the longer term the plan is to quit producing sugar for export at cheap prices to producing electricity for local use and for which there is an assured market at a good price and to producing molasses for the island’s growing rum export industry.

  44. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    “The industry in the Caribbean may today only account for around two per cent of regional GDP – a figure that pales in comparison to the percentages commanded by tourism – but it remains a significant employer of labour; supports rural communities; provides a range of social services; and indirectly halts urban drift and the associated problems of crime.”

    According to Miller let it die, it deserves to die and is dead already.

  45. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Miller
    As man! Listening to you deal with criticism on this blog makes Bushie feel good about NOT having voted for you last election….and Bushie ain’t tek a cent from a fella…

    You bright and everything …and yuh may even got some Annunuki in your behind, but shiite man, sometimes you sound like a real Dick…..tator.
    …so why can’t someone have a different opinion to yours without incurring your wrath ….what is this scruffy way that you defaulting to…?
    You minding Dr. Love and Bushie, but we old yuh! We ain’t running for a shiite….and we ain’t care ’bout a fella …well….except David 🙂

    To tell the truth, the way you are going, Bushie would vote for Sleepy Stuart again next time too…given a choice between him, and having you and your “bad boy gang” crucifying Bushie when he open he big mouth and criticize wunna….
    …you and that vagabond Old Onions….!…and miserable Islandgal 🙂

  46. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    ac
    No sense trying to explain to Miller et al, you see the are praying for Barbados to fail cause that would return them to office and would be an admission by the DLP that the electorate was wrong in 2008 and 2013.

  47. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ The Dummy @ Dumo | June 17, 2013 at 5:11 PM
    “The Andrews factory has been closed by BAMC and will not report until the crushing season of 2016…”

    Can’t you see the hands of death or the famous writing on the wall?
    What 30,000 tons of sugar what? That is not even worth what paddy shot at.
    Such a production level still requires tremendous subsidies from the already sore nipples of the taxpayers’ cash cow udders.

    Now tell us idiot, can the residual bagasse, sorry river tamarind and bush, from 30,000 tons of sugar production could ever be enough to generate 25,000 megawatts of electricity throughout the year, Dummy?

    Can’t you see you are being invited to the funeral?
    Best to carry along your umbrella because it’s sure going to rain buckets of sorrow for many cane field workers and their families!

    There is one consolation you hacks can depend on. In the year 2016 there will be no DLP administration in office.
    So you guys can always promise the “ingrunt” Bajans anything as you did in 2008 & 2013. A promise is a comfort to a fool so 2016 is so far away in your lying corruption horizon that you can say like JM Keynes: ‘In the long run, we in the DLP will be out of office and the inherited fatted calf is now stripped to the rotten carcass by the DLP hyenas and left to the vultures to scatter across the sands of time’.

    Bim really gone this time!

  48. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Bush Tea
    Miller does breed dogs, BULL mastiffs and BULL terriers. Always on her with his BULL headed ness. Everything involving him is a COCK & BULL story.

  49. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Miller
    You know nothing of what you speak, your job to criticize so continue. What he’ll you ever contribute to Barbados other that walking up and the corridors of the QEH like woman wearing lipstick and blush and having the staff there refer to you as Nurse Walcott, the Minister of Health

  50. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ The Dummy @ Dumo | June 17, 2013 at 5:50 PM |

    At least she has the regal decency to apologize for whatever “abuse” of procedure she might have engaged in.

    It would be interesting if we could get a similar response from the arrogantly condescending Ronald “Crack Head Killer Man” Jones or even those who actually witnessed voter fraud but failed to do anything about it.

    But what can we expect from a leader who sees Leroy Parris as an honourable decent man of high esteem and possessed with tremendous business acumen and who will always reside like a true friend in the bosom of the DLP like sweet Jesus with his god Fumble and Saint Peter the stinking liar.

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