Nearly four thousand Barbadians stand to lose their jobs, and the future of the sugar industry and sugar cane industry could die if immediate investment is not put in place, says Minister of Agriculture Dr David Estwick.
He said too that several businesses, with direct and indirect linkages to the industry that employ about 12 000 people, could be seriously affected if the industry is allowed to implode.
Equally at stake is Barbados’ food security which would be significantly compromised if the industry withers.
The minister explained this was why he wrote Prime Minister Freundel Stuart on November 17 seeking to clarify the “inaccuracies” made in a Cabinet presentation four days earlier on the Barbados Cane Industry Restructuring Project (BCIRP). He said it was important that Cabinet had the facts and realised the urgency for investment to save the industry.
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