GOV’T PUTS MEASURES IN PLACE TO KEEP MONYMUSK OPEN
MIIC Author

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda, says strategies employed by the Government at the Monymusk Sugar Factory in Clarendon will ensure that the facility remains open when the current sugar crop ends.
Speaking during a tour of the Long Pond Sugar Factory in Clark’s Town, Trelawny on Friday, July 8, Minister Samuda said operational issues affecting the cane fields have been addressed.
“At another time I will visit Monymusk and explain the strategy we employed to make sure that Monymusk does not close and also to guarantee that you will have water through the irrigation system, (a lack of which) has paralysed the cane fields,” he said.
Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) Holdings is operating the Monymusk factory free of rental in order to mill the over 150,000 tonnes of cane expected to be reaped for the crop period. This is under an agreement between the Government and Pan Caribbean Sugar Company, the principals of Monymusk.
SCJ Holdings will also manage 2,800 hectares of cane up to the end of the 2016 crop period, and has invited farmers to lease lands for one year.
The programme of assistance by the Government is aimed at securing the future of the industry, which has been affected by issues such as marketing arrangements, inadequate prices for exports, as well as financial challenges among factory owners.
Between 2009 and 2010, the Government divested its holdings in Monymusk, Frome, Bernard Lodge, Trelawny and St. Thomas Estates, which constitute 70 per cent of the sugar industry.
-30-
JIS
Recent News
See all news

Posted on 23/07/2025
IDB Official Affirms BIGEE’s Role in Driving MSME Growth Across Jamaica
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Chief of Operations for the Caribbean Region, Karisa Ribeiro, says the Boosting Innovation, Growth and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems (BIGEE) Programme remains instrumental in driving the expansion of several mic...

Posted on 22/07/2025
MSMEs A Key Growth Driver – Minister Hill
Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister, Hon. Aubyn Hill, has reiterated the Government’s commitment to the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector as a key driver of long-term economic growth. “Our economic stability must be con...

Posted on 21/07/2025
CAC Hosts Upcycling Competition
The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) on Friday (July 18) held its inaugural Upcycling Competition awards ceremony at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) offices in Kingston. The initiative enabled participants to showcase their artistic skills ...