The new centre pivot system installed at the Monymusk Sugar Company in Clarendon to improve irrigation to the cane fields. - Contributed THE SUGAR Company of Jamaica (SCJ) is embarking on a massive replanting project at the Monymusk Sugar Company in Clarendon to boost the volume of sugarcane supplied to the 53-year-old facility.
O'Brian Nicholson, Land Development Manager at Monymusk, told JIS News that under the programme, some 1,000 hectares of land that has been lying idle for some time, would be replanted. These include lands at Wizard Run, Greenwich, Salt Savannah, Springfield and Parnassus.
"These areas were out of cane and we intend to put them back into production for next year's crop," he said.
Mr. Nicholson said years of relatively low rates of replanting as well as the use of old, inefficient irrigation systems, had resulted in reduced sugarcane production at Monymusk and elsewhere.
To reverse the trend, the SCJ has embarked on a special programme to redevelop predominantly fallow lands utilising modern re-development methods and improved irrigation systems not commonly available in the local sugar industry.
The measure would entail the introduction of modern methods of sugarcane cultivation such as laser leveling, laying out of fields in large blocks, and installing centre pivot and drip irrigation systems, all designed to more than double cane yields.
"Because some of the lands have been out of production for between 10 to 20 years, there will be need to clear the lands of trees and other vegetation using heavy duty machinery. This will be followed by primary tillage and sub-soiling. A special feature in this project is the use of laser technology to level the fields, which will significantly improve the efficiency of irrigation, drainage, and cultivation operations," Mr. Nicholson explained.
The use of those technologies at Monymusk is expected to result in substantially increased yields from the replanted fields and supply an additional 120,000 tonnes of cane to the factory, which represents some 10,000 tonnes of sugar.
Mr. Nicholson said "we have our regular estate planting of 500 hectares. So, between the estate and the special programme, we will replant some 1,500 hectares of cane, which will result in substantially higher volumes of cane for next year's crop. We will improve the supply of canes to the factory, which will contribute to its efficiency."
"Since the start of the year, more than 160,000 tonnes of sugar cane has been supplied to the factory. The intent is to get that figure up to 230,000 tonnes for next year," he said.
Other improvements are in the area of field design to ensure large blocks of fields of similar age, and the higher level of mechanisation of activities such as fertiliser, weed control and harvesting.
Hubbert Mitchell, Mony-musk's acting engineering manager, said the SCJ recently installed two new centre pivots to improve irrigation efficiencies and cane yields.
"This is a very dry area and we mainly depend on irrigation with water obtained from underground wells," he said. "The old system is the twig and main canals which calls for manual labour (irrigators) to go through and direct the flow of water in the fields. This is a very inefficient system, with a lot of wastage. With the centre pivot, it is fully automated and adds just the right amount of water that is needed. It also has the potential to add chemicals and fertilisers as well," he added.
Mr. Mitchell said that with plans for more centre pivots in the coming months, he was expecting to see a higher level of supply of canes to the factory to enhance its efficiency.
Thomas Roulston, the factory's production manager, said Monymusk has the capacity to do well. "The current situation is that we are moving in the direction that is positive in terms of growing the raw material that is necessary to generate more sugar in the future," he said.
