GuySuCo Second Crop 2011 – by Tony Vieira

GuySuCo Second Crop 2011

By Tony Vieira – Aired 21 November 2011 – Commentary

In my commentary GuySuCo 2011 First Crop which was first aired on June 19^th 2011, I said quote “In the press release by CEO Bhim on the 29^th March 2011 GuySuCo’s production at that time according to him was 47,000 tons against an estimated first crop production of 138,793 tons and that he was confident that he will achieve his target. As usual he didn’t”!

In a marathon first crop of 23 weeks up to week ending 9th June 2011, GuySuCo achieved its weekly target only twice, in week 4 and in week 16. And at the end of the crop they produced not the estimated 138,793 tons but around 105,000 tons i.e. about 75% of what they were supposed to produce. At that time [29^th March 2011] GuySuCo’s Chairman Bhim told the nation that his annual 2011 projection was to produce 305,000 tons.

I observed in my commentary the following; quote “Since the 2010 year produced only 220,000 tons of sugar, Bhim did not elaborate on how he was going to achieve 305,000 tons in 2011” no one, and I mean no one can produce 220,000 one year and 300,000 tons the very next year, I also said this quote “we still have the Skeldon SSMP problem which is still a massive white elephant so expecting more than 260,000 tons this year based on the performance so far whilst not impossible, is not probable” I was right. Since as of the end of October 2011 the second crop only produced 96,931 tons to the end of October, so we have only produced around 200,000 tons for the year so far and the rains are upon us now. It is therefore unreasonable for us to produce 280,000 tons for 2011 and it is looking more like my 240-260 thousand ton estimate as more realistic as usual.   

GuySuCo – Incompetence at Skeldon factory – Commentary

It must have hurt the Minister of Agriculture a great deal to have to admit the incompetence at Skeldon

Written by realTalk   – Demerara Waves

Sunday, 28 August 2011

Last week, the Honorable Minister of Agriculture revealed to Guyana that GuySuCo does not possess the competence to run the US$100M Skeldon Sugar Factory. He went on to encourage its Board of Directors to hasten the consideration of the proposals currently on the table by companies from China and India to take over the management of the failing factory.To make this admission had to be a really hard and painful decision for Minister Persaud in the face of all the propaganda and hype that the government generated around this factory that was to be the saviour of the Guyana sugar industry. After Booker Tate, the global leader in the provision of development, management and technical services to the world of sugar, ethanol, bio-energy and other agribusiness projects, had been unceremoniously dismissed by the Government, it seems rather strange that more foreign management is being sought once again for the troubled factory.