Gov’t cannot abandon sugar industry – Shaw

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, the Hon. Audley Shaw, reiterated Government’s commitment to support the revitalization of Jamaica’s sugar industry at the Sugar Industry Authority’s (SIA’) 3rd Annual Post Crop Seminar held September 13 at the Authority’s Research Division in Mandeville, under the theme The Future of the Jamaican Sugar Industry.
“Government cannot simply abandon the sugar industry and we do not intend to. We have a duty and a responsibility to create the enabling parameters to aid the industry to emerge from its current doldrums,” Shaw told stakeholders at the seminar.
He added: “We have a duty and a responsibility to facilitate the welfare of the thousands of farmers, workers and their families who rely on this industry.
Our commitment, therefore, is to review and recalibrate the sugar industry; to identify the gaps and address those gaps so that we can operate this industry efficiently and profitably.”

Noting that the country’s sugar industry was far from the halcyon days of 1965, when the industry achieved its highest level of production with 514,825 tonnes of sugar, Minister Shaw said that current production has declined to 83,000 tonnes.

“These are tough times,” the agriculture minister said, noting, however, that there was still a strong and solid place for a sugar industry based on factors such as a long overdue diversification of products; more efficient land use and the fact that the sugar industry still contributes to GDP; employs some 35,000 Jamaicans directly and provides them with the means to provide for their families while being the backbone of many communities in eight parishes and 37 constituencies across the island.

Itemising strategies to revitalise the industry, Minister Shaw said industry stakeholders have also been meeting under the aegis of the SIA to identify the problems and to craft solutions to successfully plot the way forward.

On the issue of the importation of refined sugar for use in the manufacturing industry, Minister Shaw says he has instructed the SIA to establish a monitoring system to ensure that refined sugar imported for manufacturing purposes does not make its way illegally into the local sugar trade.

In addition, forensic monitoring will also take place and anyone found abusing the privilege of duty-free importation of refined sugar for the manufacturing sector will suffer severe penalties.
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