The Chairman of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) R. Karl James presided over a recent meeting, with full participation from the four sugar producing CARICOM states.
With annual crops underway, or about to start, SAC Directors verified last year’s production statistics and shared projections for the current crop. SAC members also shared challenges and opportunities as they continue to invest to shore up the ability to supply the quantity while diversifying production quality to match all regional sugar demand as well.
Industry Plans
SAC Directors updated individual industry plans and highlighted a number of positive developments. Guyana has plans to bring additional lands under cane production and is expected to increase sugar production from 60, 000 metric tonnes this year to 100,000 metric tonnes by 2024.
A newly refurbished Rose Hall factory, previously closed, is expected to be operational by September of this year. Meanwhile in Belize, this year’s sugar production is projected to approach the 200, 000 metric tonnes mark–the majority of which is destined for regional sugar markets. Additionally, Barbados has enhanced its offering with an improved value-added, packaged sugar product for a key market that it traditionally only provided raw sugar.
Intra-Regional Sugar Trade
Directors noted that the Monitoring Mechanism for Sugar (MMS), implemented in conjunction with CARICOM Secretariat, continues to contribute positively to the intra-regional sugar trade, which has doubled annually since 2019. The MMS is a key tool for the sustained full enforcement of the Common External Tariff (CET) on extra-regional sourced sugar. The two main producers, Belize and Guyana, corroborated the regional growth momentum and expressed the hope for sustained demand uptrends.
SAC Future Work Plan
The Directors received an update on the Association’s proposed Work Plan. Key components of the plan are Green Energy Production, Carbon Credits and Markets, Food Security, Climate Resilience and Integrated Pest Management among other crossing cutting areas for sugar producing states, the regional agriculture sector and the wider CARICOM. Members are currently conducting internal consultations, country and company, with each member identifying priority areas for implementation. A special technical working group, with representation from each member, will collaborate to operationalize the plan based the agreed focus areas.
Regional Food Security
Directors reaffirmed their commitment to the Regional Agricultural Sector Plan, which aims to reduce CARICOM’s food import bill by 25 percent by the year 2025. Despite being a sensitive industry, sugar is still positioned to demonstrate its capacity to meet and even surpass that goal. SAC, therefore, reiterates publicly its desire to work with the CARICOM Special Ministerial Task Force on Food Security and plans to present its Work Plan to them.
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