Minister of Agriculture, Dr Christopher Tufton. - file photos

The House of Representatives has approved a Ministry Paper for the Heads of Agreement, between the Government of Jamaica and Infinity Bio-Energy of Brazil.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr Christopher Tufton, who moved for the Ministry Paper to be approved last week, said the Government is committed to the country's strategy for the adaptation of the sugar cane industry up to 2015.

"So far, we are comfortable with the negotiations as far as the company that we are negotiating with is concerned," Dr Tufton said.

There had been concerns about the financial status of the company which recorded losses in its first two years of operation.

Under the agreement between the Government of Jamaica and Infinity, the Brazilian company will introduce methods aimed at improving agricultural productivity and developing the local sugar cane industry.

Tufton, said the methods include assisting farmers, through a develop-ment programme; providing them with associated services, such as cane cultivation, harvesting, loading, and transportation; developing new varieties of sugar cane, either through a research and development pro-gramme of local varieties or with the importation of suitable varieties developed by Infinity and Infinity's partners; and increasing mechani-sation and irrigation, when appropriate, to levels that maximise financial returns.

Privatisation

Minister of Energy, Clive Mullings, said the privatisation of the sugar industry will allow Jamaica a great opportunity to transform the pressures on the foreign exchange, and also ensure energy security.

"It will allow us to build our own local capacity so that we can, in fact, ensure our own destiny," Mullings said.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, noted that the Government was on the right track in privatising the sugar cane industry.

"We are on the right track as we are talking about putting all Sugar Company of Jamaica lands into production, getting the private sector in and not only having a 40 million gallon per year plant (Petrojam Ethanol), but that the new owners are going to build in addition to that, at least another plant," Shaw said.

Infinity, will supply the local market with volumes of sugar and sugar related by-products, and will develop new products.

The company will also promote and support a number of social programmes in the communities surrounding the sugar estates.