Brazil offer unwelcome
published: Wednesday | November 30, 2005

THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE RECENT EU ruling on sugar is not unexpected, given the EU's headlong rush to have a position ready to satisfy the U.S. at the upcoming WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting. What is surprising is the powerlessness of the U.K. in this decision.

Given this situation, I suggest that Jamaica/CARICOM quickly seek alternative investors for ethanol production. The offer of investment from Brazil, a main driver of this EU sugar reform, is an insult to our sugar industry workers who now face an immediate uncertainty and, at the very least, dislocation of their earnings. Additionally, Brazilian companies have a very poor labour relations and environmental record.

As Guyanese/CARICOM Agriculture negotiator Rohee has stated, this EU move is disingenuous, so it is our turn to reciprocate by encouraging non-Brazilian investors in ethanol.

I am, etc.,

RYAN PERALTO Jr.

ryan@kasnet.com

P.O. Box 1019

Kingston 8

Via Go-Jamaica