After promising to reopen all closed sugar estates, PPP Leader Bharrat Jagdeo appears to have outlined a plan to “right-size” the sugar industry instead, leaving all closed sugar estates permanently closed. Sugar-producing communities are being told that the focus will be on the production of alternative products.
Many people who voted for the PPP because of their promise to reopen sugar estates are shocked to see the PPP simply continue the APNU+AFC’s plan of rightsizing the industry and then focusing on the development of alternative crops.
Under the coalition government, some cane fields were to be converted to rice production and now the PPP is boasting that they will be converting some cane fields to the production of Hemp. The coalition’s decision to “right-size” the sugar industry is now being maintained as the PPP is promising sugar production on a “smaller scale”. Very small changes in what are effectively the same policies.
After over two decades and tens of billions spent to support the sugar industry, the PPP appears to have abandoned the industry entirely. The production target for 2022 is set at 65,000 tons after producing just 58,000 tons in 2021. 2022’s target is 25,000 tons short of the 90,000 tons produced in 2019 under the APNU+AFC government. Thus in 2019, under the APNU+AFC, sugar production was 55% higher than it is today under the installed PPP.
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