Andrew Clunis, Freelance WriterJAMAICA'S SUGAR industry has recorded improved production for the crop year 1999-2000 with 216,387 metric tonnes of sugar being produced, surpassing the targeted amount of 205,000 metric tonnes. The crop year ended on July 19 with the Long Pond factory being the last to close.
The current figure shows an increase over the last crop year when 204,188 metric tonnes of sugar was produced. The year prior to that, 186,133 metric tonnes of sugar was produced.
"The indications are that all things being equal we will achieve the target of 300,000 by the year 2004," said Mr. Vinroy White, finance manager of Jamaica Cane Products Sales. "I wouldn't say that we have done very well, but we are certainly getting to where we want to go. We were able to meet our European Union quota of 126,000 tonnes easily and we were even able to take up a 10,000 metric tonnes shortfall from an African country," he said.
He added that reaping conditions were ideal this year with the prevailing dry conditions.
Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke has given the sugar industry a probationary period up to the year 2004 to get sugar production back up to 300,000 metric tonnes.
