Jamaica's Sugar Industry on Track for Renewed Growth, Says Minister Green

Agriculture Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, said Jamaica’s sugar industry is on track for renewed growth and remains a priority of the Government.

Speaking during a tour at the Pan Caribbean Sugar Company Factory in Frome, Westmoreland, on Wednesday, January 8, Green said it is an “exciting time” for the industry, underscoring favourable prices for both farmers and manufacturers, and a renewed drive by stakeholders to invest in the industry.

“We are seeing, for the first time in a long while, more farmers asking for land to increase cane production. We are seeing companies asking for more land to increase cane production and we are seeing a brand new company looking to setup shop in Jamaica to start sugar production,” Green highlighted.

Citing Pan Caribbean’s investment of over 1 million USD into critical agricultural equipment, Minister Green said the Ministry is working alongside the private sector to drive the growth of the industry.

“We are very happy to see the latest investment and we want to commend the Pan Caribbean team. In fact, when we met with them last year, they would have committed to us that if we provided them with some support, which we provided directly, in the last sugar crop year, to the farmers of St. Elizabeth, that they would give the investment to continue to ensure the survival of this critical industry in this part of the island,” he shared.

However, Minister Green also noted that though the industry is on the “cusp of growth,” it is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Rafael last year.

He outlined that sugarcanes planted last year would have been significantly impacted by the weather events and, as such, resulted in “a downturn in overall production.”

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