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Agriculturalist Peter Webster Contradicts Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

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portvale sugar factory
portvale sugar factory

Isn’t it disappointing and a poor reflection on the leadership in Barbados we have to endure the perennial blame game concerning the state and future of the sugar industry in Barbados? At last month’s Barbados Chamber of Commerce  and Industry (BCCI) Prime Minister Stuart  placed the blame squarely on the back of the private sector for the decline. Even if we accept Stuart’s position we have to ask him, who will lead? It is approaching mid-February and there has been no mobilization of the crop season to reap what is estimated to be 9,000 tonnes of sugar, the lowest in our history.

The average Barbadian is divided about whether sugar is uneconomic. Sadly the majority of positions taken are from uninformed position. Uninformed positions extend to social commentators (talk show hosts) who can be heard daily with positions like, let us follow the St. Kitts model. When the hell has Barbados been known for following lesser developed countries? Is this the sum of billions of investment in education?

Back to sugar!

Agriculturist Peter Webster in today’s press challenged Prime Minister Stuart’s perspective that the decline of the sugar industry was due to private sector mismanagement. Webster opines in his exposition it was the Sugar Industry Act of 1971 that bears prime responsibility for the decline of an industry. AND that through it’s entire history was subject to booms and busts. Another interesting point (among many) made by him is that Government through its public sector agency “BAMC achieves yields 20% lower than their private sector counterparts and their cost of production is 100% higher“.

There is a simple point to be made. All sides need to sit around a table and make informed decisions about the pathway the sugar industry must take to add optimum value to the Barbados economy. The procrastinating, chicanery, vacillating and idiocy needs to stop!

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90 responses to “Agriculturalist Peter Webster Contradicts Prime Minister Freundel Stuart”

  1. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Grace Fuller February 9, 2015 at 3:59 PM #

    ………………………………………………

    What a load of Rubbish…….what were you and the T&T CLICO doing over the last 30 years with the 2000 acres of prime Ag. lands.Did you all not start to cut them up for housing like in Cherry Grove?

    You want tp pick and choose the T&T entity to control Bim……what hypocrites……you all are a sad bunch and unfortunately for us destroying the country at the same time you play these games.

  2. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    @Colonel Buggy February 9, 2015 at 3:15 PM #

    ………………………………………………………

    Pointless living in the past,ignorance is a fact of life that we have to deal with but we must not throw out the baby with the bathwater.

    Govts of the past ignored advice by those gentlemen and others such as Roy Ward and this is where the problem lies,individuals covering the melanin spectrum have over the last 50 years offered solid advice that was ignored for political expediency.

  3. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Stupeesss……people just playing ignorant or just stupid….shut down D sugar industry? Next ting we hearing that the price of sugar gone thru D roof and we never able to get back”it” UP….But ya know what,that is just what some people really want for us…. Today it is only12,000 tons and Estwick lookin to build a $500 Mill spanking new balls n cock monstrousty. Why not stick wid Portvale and see this thru..what new factory what…all ya stupidy.

  4. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    corr: get it back up

  5. Crusoe Avatar
    Crusoe

    old onion bags February 9, 2015 at 4:25 PM #

    End of the day, this discussion about who was right and wrong and manage or not the sugar industry is now irrelevant.

    The sugar industry had its day, time to move on and wasting 500millio on a factory is just an excuse to enable certain people to get a good contract, commissions etc., and when finished it will have cost 50million with the requisite ‘overruns’…..

    As certain people so ably demonstrated recently, backed up strongly by others, would your trust summa dem with a sno cone cart let alone carte blanche with your budget wallet?

    Forget the factory, invest in other produce (not freaking buildings either), who don’t want to plant, can sell the land, not to be used for anything other than agriculture.

    Cant even produce enough food and importing left, right , centre and want to plant for the sake of sentimental ‘old good days’….

    Sugar is dead and besides, it is just a poison to our diabetic nation anyway.

    Get used to it and top the rubbish. And a side benefit is that those who would ‘profit’ form the building of a useless plant would have to look elsewhere for their windfall.

  6. Crusoe Avatar
    Crusoe

    errata ‘when finished it will have cost 750million with the requisite ‘overruns’…..

  7. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    The sugar industry is dead…we continue to live in Wonderland and reminisce of an era where a totally different global economy existed. Good luck. The issue is how do we keep our RUM industry authentic and alive. Do we need a Bajan rum or a collaborative approach across Caricom in all areas of industry where we collectively and individually have specialisation/comparative advantage?

  8. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Look I ent nah big time James Paul…..but what I hearing from some tall boys that been in it for eons……dunning away wid D sweet grass is>>> ERROR….I hear Estwick say so too…Next ting…ya hit the nail on D head >>>>RUM….we rum taste special ya forget?

  9. Norst the Invader Avatar
    Norst the Invader

    King Sugar is dead. In fact Barbados is dead.

  10. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Sugar maybe dead…..But what about cane and its by products,which are many besides sugar and molasses

    Think outside the box,we touched on it about 40 years ago,resurrect the studies and lets go forward with healthy juices,hardboard,medicines,fertilisers,mulch,etc,etc…….would you believe that cane juice crystals exist in health stores around the world.

    Guyana operates year round cane processing,we could pursue that with a view to feeding the grid

    Go to Antigua.St.Kitts to name two and see what the landscape looks like in the absence of cane.

    The Cane industry in Bim is more than sugar and diabetes(That linkage is incorrect by the way,too simplistic) …..

  11. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    What Barbados RUM industry you all talking about ………

    Largest producer “Mount Gay” is FRENCH OWNED AND OPERATED, most molasses used comes from Jamacia

    Bagan Rum in name only ?

  12. Grace Fuller Avatar
    Grace Fuller

    Vincent

    Fear not my friend, the new multi-purpose factory are Andrews is be funded by was of a foreign direct investment from private sector. The government of Barbados is not responsible for the debt raised and equity invested by the private investor.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    @Grace Fuller

    What role will the BNB Capital company with Ince and the good Senator play in this or related projects?

  14. Grace Fuller Avatar
    Grace Fuller

    What is BNB Capital? Is that Trinidadian company?

  15. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    Will the existing Cane Harvesters be able to be converted to harvest the Wild Tamarind brush to power the new Super Factory? Or have we got to re-tool for this ?
    Yesterday I saw an MTW Million- Dollar Caterpillar road construction grader, ‘weeding’ that side of the road on the St Davids back road. What a farce?

  16. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    @David February 10, 2015 at 11:25 AM #

    Grace Fuller February 10, 2015 at 11:33 AM #

    What is BNB Capital? Is that Trinidadian company?
    ………………………………………………………………………………

    Hahahahaha…………..That says it all,we now know the thinking.

  17. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Grace Fuller February 10, 2015 at 11:33 AM #
    “What is BNB Capital? Is that Trinidadian company?”

    So how come you seem to know everything going on behind the scenes as far as government projects are concerned and don’t know of the company- set up with the blessings of Stinkliar and fronted by Jepter Physical Deficit Ince and the ethics-less Trevor Carmichael- through which the finders fees and consultancy incomes associated with the phantom sugar cane factory will be channeled and siphoned off via a sophisticated tax avoidance money laundering machine called BNB Capital?

    Are you really a Tuesday’ child, full of grace; or are you a Thursday child and have very ‘far’ to go as far this bogus sugar cane factory and restructuring of the industry is concerned?

  18. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Colonel Buggy February 10, 2015 at 2:06 PM
    “Will the existing Cane Harvesters be able to be converted to harvest the Wild Tamarind brush to power the new Super Factory? Or have we got to re-tool for this?”

    Guess you, Colonel, have not yet seen my patent recently taken out on the innovatively modified combined harvester called the “Bajan Lumbering Jack”?
    This super machine is redesigned not only to harvest sugar cane during the crop season but all year round it will be reaping riving tamarind and de-bushing the country side simultaneously. When not in use during the day it can be rented out during the night to collect and transport the tonnes of garbage for burning to the Lowe-down WTE plant earmarked for St. Thomas.

    The beauty about this machine is that it will be powered by solar panels during the day and an in-built wind turbine at night using the acrid fumes from the same WTE all on this little 2×3 environmentally fragile tourism dependent atoll in the fast-polluting Atlantic ocean.

    Dr. Colin Hudson would have been ‘tickled-pink’ and proud of my Bajan cane-tamarind-garbage compacting spinning Jenny called Lumbering Jack Back to the Sleeping Giant Stuart cotton-picking-nigger fields.

  19. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    You know we (BU) are able to sniff the BS at an early stage.

  20. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Man Millar

    Doan mekk ma laugh do…..

    These idiots got a prototype build already..

    The Bajan Lumber Who?

    But looka muh crosses, true.

    Another faux pas in the making.

    Foul up Bleeps and Blunders II….

    Somebody come quick and rescue these knobbits

    Before we mekk the international news.

  21. Crusoe Avatar
    Crusoe

    Maybe we should give it a chance, after all, the wild tamarind could be grown on the millions of acres of land that lies fallow….

    Hah.

    It is severely crackpottish. Instead of producing sugar that sells about five dollars a large bag, Barbados needs to grow more fruits and vegetables and package same, a frozen foods plant etc makes more sense.

    At least, it should stop us importing as much.

    It is not only about what sugar can sell or, nor its by products (including yes, diabetes…huge cost that and it IS relevant), but the opportunity cost of the land that could be used for other crops INCLUDING real medicinal crops, (not just cane crystals…).

    Get real, get down to basics, food.

    But then, who would buy alla dem foods in Massy iffin you could get them at the local market?

    Sugar my foot. Selling fuh five dollars a large bag. And Guvment want to spend 500 dollars of taxpayer money pun it. If it was not coming out of taxpayer pocket, why in heck did the Parliament have to approve??]

    We born yestuhday?

  22. Crusoe Avatar
    Crusoe

    ”And Guvment want to spend 500 million dollars of taxpayer money pun it.”

  23. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    millertheanunnaki February 10, 2015 at 2:56 PM #

    Dr. Colin Hudson would have been ‘tickled-pink’ and proud of my Bajan cane-tamarind-garbage compacting spinning Jenny called Lumbering Jack Back to the Sleeping Giant Stuart cotton-picking-nigger fields.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    And being a government owned and neglected piece of machinery, when it breaks down, we will have to resort to the Bush Cutter which Stuart is set to resurrect , which he intends to run on the occasional pig head and a glass of mauby.

  24. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    Crusoe February 10, 2015 at 4:26 PM #
    Maybe we should give it a chance, after all, the wild tamarind could be grown on the millions of acres of land that lies fallow….

    Hah.
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    Could be ? Sir. Check Kinglands Estates Ltd and a greater part of the Scotland District. We have an abundance of wild tamarind.

  25. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Workers at BADC being offered seperation packages……Dooms Day start,….who nxt?

  26. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Serve all DEM quick fix workers who vote for Dem for a job, out there on the Harbour Rd, go join nah brothers from NCC….wanna vote dem IN and now in less than 2 years ..DEM puttin wanna OUT !

    Is called Fruendel Trickery, that wanna had to learn D hard way..

  27. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    This Govt. has to be praised for achieving the ultimate goal of all previous Govts. the destruction of the Sugar industry.Against the odds they have done what no one before was able to do .All hail.

  28. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    The Indian name for England was roughly translated by British troops,serving in India, during the days of the British Empire ,as Blighty. We here in Barbados have always been proud to call our selves Little England. We should now more appropriately refer to this little rock as BIG BLIGHTy.

    Lay offs after lay offs, but these bastards are still holding on , with their many uncalled for ministries, drawing salaries and allowances , each and every month, and on time.

  29. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ Vincent
    This Govt. has to be praised for achieving the ultimate goal of all previous Govts. the destruction of the Sugar industry.Against the odds they have done what no one before was able to do .All hail.

    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    OnlySugar Cane?…Man this Govt FAIL AT EVERY SHOITE……MEKK WE D LAUGHING STOCK OF THE REGION…..big head teefing buffoons evaone,,….carrying on from dat LONG DED LIZARD COLOR SHOITE…..serve wanna RIGHT!

  30. David Avatar
    David

    The following was submitted as an email to BU:

    Why not look seriously at fuel ethanol from cane juice, and direct consumption sugar for local use, as the new model for the sugar industry. In the short term a distillery is easier to fund and bring on stream, and the products and by products should provide the income to sustain the Sugar Cane Industry. Someone should do the math.

    Since there is only one factory operating now, a continuous fermentation and distillation plant should be attached. (Check the investment needed.)

    Sugar Cane growing and milling cannot be viable today, if it is converted only to Bulk Sugar, Molasses, Bagasse and Mud. the addition of fuel ethanol and it’s by products is the way to diversify in the short term.

  31. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    David February 10, 2015 at 6:47 PM #

    The following was submitted as an email to BU

    ………………………………………………….

    David

    Brazil does ethanol,with some hiccups,on the land mass they have…….note our land mass

    I wonder who the BB that sent you that e-m……..we really mekking sport…..yuh mean to say wid alluh duh free edication……we lack commonsense

    The Math was done over 40 years ago.

  32. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    @David
    Do you think that local farmers will be willing once again to venture into the cultivation of fuel canes for the production of ethanol, having been bitten once,a few years ago when they were encouraged to plant fuel canes, only to ploughed them into the ground ,two or three years later and having lost a couple of years production of standard sugar canes in those fields, as the ethanol plant , which was promised by the government and its technocrats never got off the ground.
    Barbados farmers have lost all confidence in this government and its hot and cold Minister of Agriculture.

  33. David Avatar
    David

    @Colonel

    No!

  34. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    The power of branding adds value.

    http://store.kauaicoffee.com/premium-maui-gold-raw-sugar-p103.aspx

  35. Mayra Newton Avatar
    Mayra Newton

    I hear the Government of Barbados has entered into an agreement with IntraSugar Partners Limited to build a new factory at Andrews complete with the co-generation of electricity.

  36. David Avatar
    David

    Received via BU email.

    Why not look seriously at fuel ethanol from cane juice, and direct consumption sugar for local use, as the new model for the sugar industry. In the short term a distillery is easier to fund and bring on stream. The products and by products should provide the income to sustain the Sugar Cane Industry. Someone should do the math.

    Since there is only one factory operating now, a continuous fermentation and distillation plant should be attached. (Check Brazil for the investment needed.)

    Sugar Cane growing and milling cannot be viable today, if it is converted only to Bulk Sugar, Molasses, Bagasse and Mud. The addition of fuel ethanol and it’s by products is the way to diversify in the short term to increase income. This will also have a positive impact on the environment and the cost of fuel.

    Please advise if the makes any common sense.

    THE GREATER AMOUNT OF  ETHANOL MADE AND SOLD THE MORE VIABLE THE SUGAR INDUSTRY.

     

    THIS IS TODAY’S MATH AT THE MOST UNENTHUSIASTIC SALES AND EXPENDITURE FORECAST.

     

     

     

    PRODUCTION

    % CANE TO SUGAR

    25.00

     

    SUGAR

    96.00

    5,630.34

     

    SUGAR TQ

    5,405.12

     

    MOLASSES ton

    % CANE

    3.068

    1,749.73

     

    ETHANOL

    % CANE TO ETHANOL

    75.00

    10,462,784.64

     

    CO2

    15,139,520.00

     

    FEED YEAST

    20.00

     

    INCOME

     

    SUGAR TQ

    $1,150.00

    $6,215,892.35

     

    SHIPPING COST TQ

    ($98.00)

    ($529,702.13)

     

    MOLASSES ton

    $205.00

    $358,694.86

    SUGAR AND MOLASSES STOCK MOVEMENT

    ($3,058,700.00)

     

    ETHANOL LITERS

    $2.40

    $25,110,683.14

     

    CO2 LBS

    $1.50

    $22,709,280.00

     

    FEED YEAST TON

    $1,300.00

    $26,000.00

     

    SUB TOTAL

    $50,832,148.22

     

     

    NON SUGAR CROPS

    $2,700,300.00

     

    NON SUGAR CROPS COST

    ($1,800,000.00)

     

    NON SUGAR CONTRIBUTION

    $900,300.00

     

     

    OTHER INCOME

    $37,000,000.00

     

     

    TOTAL INCOME

     

     

     

    $88,732,448.22

     

     

    COSTS OF PRODUCTION

    CANE PURCHASE

    ($74.00)

    /ton cane BAMC

    ($8,523,396.06)

    AGRICULTURE

    ($168.80)

    /ton cane BAMC

    ($19,442,557.50)

    FACTORY

    ($834.77)

    /ton 96

    ($18,800,146.60)

    FINANCE

    ($354,275.00)

    /month

    ($4,251,300.00)

    HUMAN RESOURCE

    ($224,866.67)

    /month

    ($2,698,400.00)

    GENERAL MANAGEMENT

    ($214,533.33)

    /month

    ($2,574,400.00)

    CORPORATE FLEET

    $0.00

    DISTILLERY

    ($75,000.00)

    /month

    ($900,000.00)

    ETHANOL LITERS

    ($0.35)

    ($3,661,974.62)

    CO2 LBS

    ($0.15)

    ($2,270,928.00)

    FEED YEAST TON

    ($100.00)

    ($2,000.00)

    TOTAL

    ($63,125,102.78)

    Other Cost

    Overdraft Interest

    $0.00

    Depreciation

    ($6,862,400.00)

    Bad Debts

    $0.00

    Crop Financing Cost

    ($84,300.00)

    Finance Charges
  37. Norst the Invader Avatar
    Norst the Invader

    fuel ethanol? what a joke.

  38. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David February 11, 2015 at 5:56 PM

    “OTHER INCOME ………………. $37,000,000.00”

    What a laugh! How can a figure so large be treated as “Other”.
    Any one with a modicum of training and experience is Finance and Accounting (especially Management Accounting) can see at a glance those figures are just fudges and guesstimates “estimated” to justify some fictitious project.

  39. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    @millertheanunnaki February 12, 2015 at 6:48 AM #

    It is known as New Finance&Accounting……this the end result of the free education we have been exposed to over the last 50 years………we have some real bright fellahs ’bout here…….soon Bim will be out of debt hole……have faith

  40. Norst the Invader Avatar
    Norst the Invader

    miller
    pay david no mind with ethanol bullshit. ethanol has been ruled out by both BLP and DLP for including in the sugar industry restructuring project. both the BLP and DLP chose to centre the project around the production of energy from sustain local green biomass.

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