Albion Estate surpasses weekly sugar production target for second time
See below full press release issued by the Guyana Sugar Corporation:
For the second consecutive week, the Albion/Port Mourant Estate has surpassed it weekly sugar production target.
Having exceeding its target by 7.9% last week, the Estate this week (week ending March 26, 2022), has again done so, this time by 6.3%.
According to the Estate’s Production Manager – Goy Romain, the Estate is still suffering from poor cane yields as a result of the floods in 2021 (which directly affected the plant performance over a 12 month period starting in May 2021); however, this adverse situation is expected to subside in the 2nd Crop of 2022, weather permitting. Romain posited that the Estate’s current achievement of its weekly targets is attributed to the combined efforts of employees both in the field and factory who closely monitored every aspect of the value chain to bring greater consistency to the production process.
For the second straight week, qualified employees (who worked 80% or more days available for the week) have earned themselves an additional day’s pay (tax free) via the GuySuCo’s Weekly Production Incentive (WPI) scheme. This, Romain believes, will encourage and boost employees’ morale and turn out in the fields. Further, it also bodes well for the socio-economic situation in the Corentyne area.
Despite of the inclement weather during the week (24.2 mm of rainfall recorded over a two day period) which slowed the production process, the Estate was able to seize the momentum by extending working hours in the fields by using the cane loaders on dryer days.
Romain also disclosed that the overall factory performance as well as sugar recovery is showing positive results, attesting to the “pol extraction” at 92%, which means that the factory is performing better as it extracts more of the sucrose content from the sugar cane.
GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer, Sasenarine Singh, stated that this can be credited to the investments made by the Government of Guyana into the capital rehabilitation programmme. The CEO also indicated that the support from the current administration is encouraging as it will boost recoveries and contribute to more tonnes of sugar being produced for every tonne of cane supplied to the factory, which is in keeping with the Corporation’s Five Year Strategic Plan.
GuySuCo is aiming at a sugar production target of 20,260 MT across the industry for the 1st Crop of 2022, which is expected to conclude on April 30, 2022. At this point in time, the Berbice Estates are well on target with their harvesting plans.
The Executive Management commends the management and workers within the industry, especially Albion/Port Mourant Estate on the achievement of their second WPI and urges all families of sugar workers to continue to provide this consistent support to the cane harvesters and other employees on the Estates as the industry continues to recover from all challenges.