It won't be business as usual for sugar this year - Tufton

Minister of Agriculture Dr Christopher Tufton indicated Wednesday that whatever the outcome of current divestment talks, it will not be business as usual for sugar this year.

"Whatever happens, decisions are going to have to be made, and tough decisions as they relate to how the Government proceeds with this industry," Dr Tufton told the journalists at his ministry on Hope Road in St Andrew.

"This is an industry that is well over $20-billion indebted and over the last year, as is the case each year, the taxpayers of Jamaica have paid just over $3 billion to subsidise the industry," he pointed out.

However, Dr Tufton expressed confidence that the current talks with Brazil's Infinity Bio-Energy (IBE) Limited will lead to the divestment of the five government-owned factories - Bernard Lodge, Frome, Hampden, Monymusk and St Thomas (Duckenfield) - in a short time, despite the missed targets.

He also refuted claims by the Opposition People's National Party that the negotiations with IBE were "bungled", and recalled that the Opposition had missed numerous targets since the divestment process began in 2005.

"We have made significant progress, but there are still some outstanding matters. In the meantime, sensitive to the fact that we are dealing with a crop cycle, provisions have been made to ensure that the sugar cane crop is taken off (this year). That is not bungling, as is being suggested by the Opposition," Tufton said.

"This is a process that started five-six years ago and many targets and many deadlines have been missed, not just the ones that have been set by this administration, but by the former administration. So, perhaps we need to contextualise the discussions and look at the history and also look at the industry that we are dealing with," he said.

He noted that the current sugar crop kicked off Wednesday at Frome, Westmoreland, while that in St Thomas will begin on January 13. Private farmers are already trucking canes to Appleton Estate, St Elizabeth while Worthy Park, St Catherine, will commence purchasing canes from farmers this weekend. Both Appleton and Worthy Park are privately owned.

"So we are not at a standstill, we are ensuring that the interest of the sector is maintained and is represented," the minister added.

"What we have to do is to allow the discussions to be completed and that is what we have said and will continue to say, until we have a definitive position. There is not much more to add to the discourse (at this time), which is why I haven't responded to all the requests for interviews. All I can say (at this time) is what I have said over the last number of weeks," he stated.