Dear Editor,
It was good to see that GuySuCo was once again in the news. Given that a large section of the labour force depends on the sugar industry for their daily bread, we should continue to seek the most efficient means of producing sugar. As a nation, we can learn a lot from Brazil when it comes to producing sugar.
Guyana yields 35% of what Brazil yields in sugar production per hectare, and produces sugar for twice the cost that Brazil produces sugar. The benchmarking of Brazil’s best practices in the industry, and utilizing their resources to aid in the improvement of our sugar production, should be undertaken. They continue to be the world’s largest and least expensive producer of sugar.
Our neighbours to the south have not only leveraged economies of scale, but have also been able to reduce their crop maintenance and harvest costs (Reference: Sugar Cost of Production Across the World by Ana Zancaner, CZ Insights, March 2024).
Plans underway to increase the number of hectares under cultivation in Guyana must include the setting of production targets that would eventually get us to Brazil’s best-in-class levels. This would ensure that Guyana becomes very competitive in the industry, while also securing our country’s place in its future.
Best regards,
Jamil Changlee
