More recent information obtained has caused the GAWU to re-look at our previous estimates regarding sugar production this year. Our Union in a statement on October 25, taking into account, the industry’s performance then had estimated that production until week-ending December 20 would see GuySuCo producing 67,653 tonnes sugar out of a 75,843 tonne target. At that time, we expected that Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt would have produced 34,187, 20,450 and 13,016 tonnes sugar respectively. However, recent performances have caused us to review our estimates. As at November 20, sugar production was as follows:-
| Estate | Production as at 20/11/19 | Target | Deficit |
| Albion | 22,864 | 39,543 | (16,589) |
| Blairmont | 13,776 | 23,284 | (9,508) |
| Uitvlugt | 11,627 | 13,016 | (1,389) |
| Total | 48,267 | 75,843 | (27,486) |
The Corporation has disclosed that Uitvlugt Estate has sufficient canes to produce an additional 500 tonnes of sugar and its target has been revised. Bearing in mind the most recent performance, we have now estimated that the industry second crop production would reach 60,236 tonnes sugar as follows:-
| Estate | Production as at 20/11/19 | Estimate Production as at 20/12/19 | Crop Total | Target | Deficit |
| Albion | 22,864 | 5,779 | 28,643 | 39,543 | (10,900) |
| Blairmont | 13,776 | 4,301 | 18,077 | 23,284 | (5,207) |
| Uitvlugt | 11,627 | 1,889 | 13,516 | 13,516 | 0 |
| Total | 48,267 | 11,969 | 60,236 | 75,843 | (16,107) |
We understand that the Corporation is struggling very much with factory problems. At Albion it has been disclosed that this is the factory’s worse performance in the longest of time. In fact, the problems at that location are so acute, the Corporation has lost some three (3) weeks of operations during this crop due to breakdowns. That is some 420 hours of downtime. At the other locations, the situation is not much better with breakdown hours during this crop reaching 122 and 119 at Blairmont and Uitvlugt respectively.
The situation has been especially hard for the workers. The poor reliability of the factories has seen workers on many days not being offered work. This makes a bad situation worse as they have been struggling with the declines in their nominal and real pay. The inability to work every day for them and their family, especially as they approach the year-end season, must be distressing. Now-a-day we are no longer hearing the perennial cries of worker turnout which really were a guise for poor production performances. Indeed, it appears, the chickens have come home to roost.
The poor performance also means that canes available to harvest during the second crop cannot be harvested and will have to be reaped during next year. The cutting of canes beyond their maturity is almost a taboo in the industry as those canes tend to experience declining returns. Moreover, such canes are also difficult for workers to harvest as they require additional efforts by them.
The performance of the factories, as we have lamented before, brings into question the efficacy of the industry’s factory operations department. That department’s skills, we gathered, has been augmented in recent times as several new recruits were engaged. We hasten to wonder what have been their collective contributions in assuaging the situation and trying to bring some semblance to the difficulties that are being faced at this time. The situation for the Union and the workers are very much concerning and disconcerting at the same time.
