By Al Edwards, Financial Editor 
Morrison
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Officer of the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ), Livingstone Morrison has expressed his intention to remain at the company in his present capacity despite persistent speculation that he will be stepping down.
Speaking with the Financial Gleaner earlier this week Mr. Morrison said: " It is no secret that there is talk that I am leaving the Sugar Company of Jamaica but I still have a job to do here. The Frome crop starts today and this is the year where I hope to see even greater productivity from that estate."
"Many people see me as an agent of change and people tend not to be too happy with agents of change. On Monday we had an executive management committee meeting where the members made it quite clear that if I were to leave they would also. I am responsible for 6,300 employees and I still feel there is a lot of work to do."
The SCJ's Communications consultant Mr. Douglas Robinson would neither confirm nor deny speculation that Mr. Morrison is about to step down from his present post.
Mr. Morrison has made it unequivocably clear that his aim for this year is to increase production and manufacture over 135,000 tonnes of sugar thereby increasing the profitability of the SCJ.
MAJOR INITIATIVE
A major initiative undertaken by Mr. Morrison was the planting of 8,000 hectares of cane over a two year period. In 2002/2003 the SCJ reported a modest break-even aided by the increase in earnings due to the Euro gaining ground and the slippage of the Jamaican dollar.
His focus has been the reduction in the cost of production. Last year the cost of production was US$0.23 per pound of sugar. For this year the plan was to reduce it to US$0.20 but with the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ivan that figure has been revised to US$0.21.
The SCJ's CEO has also decided to engage in other economic activities to boost revenues. Last year it sold over 1000 pounds of tilapia produced in Bernard Lodge in an effort to cover costs. It also grew 15,000 pounds of pumpkin at Moneymusk. Today it exports two containers per month of pumpkin from its Hampden Estate.
"My role at the Sugar Company is to restructure and rehabilitate the industry. My objective is to do so in the shortest possible time. This is the only reason why I am here. I have spent over 20 years in central banking and have no intention spending a minute more than is necessary in sugar unless I am pursuing some meaniful objective," said Mr. Morrison late last year in an interview with the Financial Gleaner.
Last week he spoke at a pre-crop function at the Frome estate and spoke on his own future at the SCJ.
SATISFIED
"I have completed the second (year) of my three-year contract and I must say I'm satisfied with the progress we're making as a team. With the assistance of the team, the workers and the solid technical advice from the Sugar Industry Research Institute, we have been able to change a number of things.
"Whether I stay or leave will depend on a few things including my ability to take the necessary steps toward accomplishing my objectives of bringing about a general improvement. We have to determine where we are going with co-generation and ethanol production and when are we going to produce refined sugar. Jamaica consumes 65,000 tonnes of refined sugar a year.
Speaking with the Financial Gleaner, he said: "One of the things that I am particularly proud of is the way the workers have come together and the team spirit we now have at our five factories and six estates. Last year we processed 130,000 tonnes of sugar and this year we have done over 140,000. So you see we have improved year over year."
In 2002 the SCJ reported a loss of $680 million. For financial year 2004/2005 Mr. Morrison is estimating an operating profit of $500 million.
Contribution by Cedric Johnson Financial Gleaner writer
