Jamaica sugar production up

(Jamaica Gleaner) Sugar produced from the 2010-2011 sugar cane crop was 139,594 tonnes, an increase over the 122,104 tonnes produced in the 2009-2010 crop. The amount represents a turnaround of a downward trend in sugar production since 2007 when the industry produced 164,387 tonnes of sugar.

The total represents the seventh largest amount of sugar produced in any one season over the last decade. In 2004, a tonnage of 183,672 was achieved, eclipsing the 174,640 tonnes produced in 2002.

But according to a report by Earle V. Roberts of the Sugar Industry Research Institute, published in the Jamaica Association of Sugar Technologists’ magazine and presented at the association’s 74th annual conference last week at Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, there were encouraging features in the industry’s performance for the last crop.

The report said loans provided by the Cane Expansion Fund, amounting to J$154.3 million, enabled the replanting of 600 hectares of sugar cane which helped to boost the industry substantially.

The report added: “Sugar production increased by 17,490 tonnes (14.32 per cent), and this increase is attributable not only to the increase in cane tonnage, but also to an increase in cane quality as evidenced by the increase in the average Jamaica Recovery Cane Sugar from 10.06 units the previous year to 10.70 for the crop just concluded.”

On the factory side, there was an increase in the FRI (Factory Recovery Index) of 1.43 units, moving from 88.15 per cent to 89.58 per cent.

The report stated that efforts to increase the FRI further must continue if all factories are to achieve and maintain the industry standard of 91 per cent.

Looking ahead, 2011-2012 crop year will be the first since the completion of divestment of government-owned estates.

According to the report, the divestment is expected to provide the industry with the injection it needs to obtain greater levels of efficiency and productivity.

The sugar industry, meanwhile, anticipates a production level of some 150,000 tonnes of sugar for the 2011-2012 crop.