Sugar-cane farmers over the years have worked hard and long, seeking growth and personal benefits from the industry but, with all the promises, they have unfulfilled dreams.

The unit cost of growing sugar cane is pretty high and, at the best of times, the weather dictates how you end up at the end of crop. Yet, due to the certainty of the marketing end of it, one keeps hoping and stays on board.

A large concourse of our lands of moderately good soil is in sugar cane, with seven factories facilitating the production of sugar mostly owned by the Government. At this point in time it would be a good idea to reserve 25 per cent of the value of each factory so that the cane farmers might be given the opportunity to invest, through shares, in the factory to which he/she is assigned.

Keep the industry viable

This could be the incentive needed to keep the growers in the industry - generating greater interest, resulting in less illicit fires and greater throughput for the factory. History shows that it worked for the banana industry. Why not for sugar?

It is hoped that our Government will look at this carefully and see how it could work for the common good and to keep the industry viable.

I am, etc.,

L. B. RHODEN

Negril