Dry spell takes toll on sugar production while banana farmers express concern

The island's sugar industry is bracing for a fallout as the agricultural sector reels from the effects of  the worsening dry spell. According to the All Island Jamaica Cane Farmers Association, the situation is far worse than last year when the industry was hard hit by a six month dry spell. 

 

It says sugar farmers have not recovered from the impact so the decline in rainfall this year has come at a bad time. Chairman of  the Association, Allan Rickards, is worried about the long term implications for sugar production.  He says the expected fallout will mean more bad news for the country's sugar industry with the forecast for lower earnings from exports.

                                                        

In the meantime, the Cane Farmers Association says due to the effects of  the dry spell so far the sugar industry's recovery will be slow.

 

 

And concern is also growing that the dry spell could stall plans by the Agriculture Ministry to increase banana production and exports. This was expressed yesterday at a forum to educate farmers on the Banana Export Expansion Programme, BEEP.

 

Jamaica suspended banana exports in 2008 following several natural disasters within a seven year period. With renewed interest from the British market, efforts are being made to increase production through the programme. However, General Manager for the Banana Board, Janet Conie, fears that production could be affected.