Sugar Crop Start Delayed Again Amid Mill and Road Setbacks

The sugar crop season is hitting another snag this year. The start date? Pushed back yet again. So, what’s causing the holdup? Well, it’s a mix of things, maintenance at the mill is taking longer than expected thanks to shipping delays, and repairs to sugar roads have been slowed down by recent bad weather. But here’s the silver lining: the industry isn’t losing hope. In fact, today we spoke with Marcos Osorio, Chairman of the Sugar Industry Control Board, and he says despite the setbacks, they’re confident this season will still deliver strong results. Here’s what he had to say.

 

Marcos Osorio, Chairman, Sugar Industry Control Board

“I can say that at around late October, the mill had indicated that the mill maintenance will have been completed around the first week of December, at which time once completed they would do steam trials and that would mean that the following week the mill would be ready for start of crop. But a month later, the mill reported that they are maintenance works at the mill is now scheduled to be completed by the first week of January. As soon as they complete the works then the steam trials will be engaged. And if everything is successful, then we should be seeing a start of crop around mid-January. Secondly, there is the sugar roads maintenance that is programmed. But as soon as the contracts were signed by government with contractors towards the end of October. Unfortunately, the rains came down and it has been raining off and on. So at the same time, field conditions are not adequate. And we are hoping that sugar road maintenance will be started. We are hoping that it be started this week so that – but also hopeful that weather also holds for works to be engaged.”