GOVERNMENT intends to put a stop to the high volume of sugar that the country imports, says Minister of Agriculture Dr David Estwick.
Speaking at a symposium organised by the Barbados Agricultural Society on Wednesday, Estwick, while not?going into details, told farmers and others involved in agriculture that a revamp of the sugar industry was coming.
“We are going to have the capacity not only to produce speciality sugars in Barbados, but we will stop importing $32 million in sugar. We will stop importing all of those packets of sugars used in hotels . . . and for the first time in Barbados we will be producing molasses to support the rum industry so that it can now expand,” he said, adding that details would be revealed during the upcoming Budget.
Pointing out that he had read every study on the sugar industry since 1992, Estwick said they had all come to one conclusion about the sugar industry. “I am going to do what the studies say – carry the industry to value added.
