THE 2017 SUGAR crop isn’t over yet, but the 2018 version could be in trouble already.
That’s because sugar farmers still haven’t received outstanding payments for last year’s crop, and remain unable to place orders for special fertiliser to be administered to young canes that would lead to next year’s harvest.
Chairman of the Barbados Sugar Industries Limited (BSIL), Patrick Bethell, told the SUNDAY SUN that farmers have about a two-week window available, but if fertiliser cannot be purchased before the second week of this month, then next year’s yield would be in big trouble.
“We had been told a month ago that the money would be coming soon, but we still haven’t heard from anyone from the Ministry of Finance. Right now we are in no man’s land,” Bethell said. (BA)
Please read the full story in today’s Sunday Sun, or in the eNATION edition.