Dear Editor,
There obtains a confuscation of information about the sugar of Guy-ana and its immediate future pros-pects in SN of 18 June. Sequentially the report reads as follows:
a) Discussions underway with the Dominican Republic for assistance in boosting GuySuCo cultivation efforts.
b) Discussions with India, Gua-temala and the Dominican Republic … helping us to have the right variety (of sugar cane) and to create a nursery that would enhance the expedition of processing of more seedlings to have the cultivation expanded rapidly. Stabroek News will recall from its May 20 issue of 2022 that: “Acres of cane under the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) Field Research Pro-gramme at LBI were recently cleared for housing development”. Please alert President Ali!
It is unclear as to which language will the promised assistance be conducted, and by whom. In the meantime it is worth noting that the President seemed to be unaware that GuySuCo had deliberately decided to close the long established Research/ Nursery Centre a year or more ago, sending its very experienced head to the Guyana School of Agriculture.
GAWU should enquire now about the dis-employed support staff who were to be transferred to the Blairmont Estate Field Laboratory. In the meantime, the President needs to enquire about the ‘agricultural’ competencies of the ‘contractors’ utilised now to plant, grow and harvest cane – at what certifiable quality. Presumably these will be the target audience of the technical advisors from the Dominican Republic.
The President is entitled to be advised of the cost of current agricultural production vis-a-vis the cost of bilingual advice to be negotiated. All the above ignores the possible availability of local expertise (headed by the incomparable Dr. Harold Davis Jr.), who was the Director of Agriculture for years, and as recent as 2017. No translation will be necessary!
Sincerely,
E. B. John
Human Resources Director
(Former)
Booker Sugar Estates
Guyana Sugar Corporation
