Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 04, 2014 News
-private farmers producing less cane
The new strategic turnaround plan of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) includes a Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis which reflects that the weakness of the individual sugar factories significantly outweigh the strengths.
GuySuCo recently completed its latest strategic turnaround plan which is supposed to serve as a programme to resuscitate the sugar industry.
The plan focuses mainly on mechanisms to increase production and reflects a need for $19B (US$95M) to Capital Expenditure Plan for the improvement of Agriculture operations and rehabilitation of factories over the next five years.
GuySuCo had at least two other turnaround plans before.
The new “strategic” plan is said to be based on the initiatives put forth in the original Strategic Blueprint and new initiatives put forward by Estates and other “key management personnel.”
The SWOT analysis identifies Skeldon and Wales as the factories with the most weaknesses. The weaknesses of Skeldon is nearly triple its strengths, while only two of the factories outlined —Uitvlugt and East Demerara—had five or more strengths. Even though Albion hadn’t as many listed strengths, it has been dubbed “an efficient factory.”
Interestingly, despite the Uitvlugt and East Demerara sugar factories having the most listed strengths, the weaknesses outweighed them as well.
The weaknesses highlighted in the analysis include “unresolved/prolonged technical difficulties with the New Skeldon Factory which began since the 2nd crop 2008.”
It was also stated that as a result of the technical difficulties with the Skeldon Factory, Skeldon farmers have been reluctant to continue or come on board with GuySuCo.
Some of the other major weaknesses include the inability to consistently achieve the projected grinding hours, resulting in significant increases in other costs such as fuel consumption, mill dock operations and support services; inability to procure key inputs in a timely manner and higher than anticipated wage increase.
Also highlighted was that there were larger than anticipated decreases in private cane farmers’ supply; Inability to make the necessary capital investments due to poor liquidity; Low production levels; Sub-standard work practices and poor supervision; High level of absenteeism/poor labour turnout especially at critical times in both the field and factories.
The fact that factories are unable to attract workers due to better and tax-free pay elsewhere and that there is an “inadequate skilled labour supply” was also highlighted.
Some threats identified were “Additional inflationary pressures on key material inputs such as fuel, fertilizers and spares; Inclement weather would hinder sequence and timing of all operations; Unpredictably industrial relations climate; Unreasonable union demands and loss of skilled and experienced staff to migration; construction, gold and rice industries and other sectors
“To combat these weaknesses and threats the main following Strengths and Opportunities that will be exploited and developed into strategies and actions to be undertaken industry wide are as follows Increased Mechanization; Factory Improvements; Human Resources Initiatives; Improvements to Accessibility and Cane Transport and Increased Production of Value Added Sugar.
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