Sugar production this year has yielded almost 11 000 tonnes in spite of a late start to the crop, millions of dollars owed to private farmers by Government, and threats of union action if workers’ conditions were not improved.
Michael Armstrong, acting manager at the island’s lone sugar factory, Portvale in St James, reported that from 146 831 tonnes of cane, 10 961 tonnes of sugar were produced. He said 4 666 tonnes were for export and 6 295 for local consumption.
Barbados produced over 8 000 tonnes of sugar in 2016 and 10 134 last year. This year it took 12 tonnes of cane to produce a tonne of sugar, the same as last year. It took 11 tonnes in 2016.
Armstrong also said though the crop was affected to a certain extent, weather conditions coincided timely with the start of the harvest on April 9, with grinding coming to an end July 15. (SB)
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