Sugar company warns against illicit sugar-cane burning
Published:Thursday | December 22, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
PAN CARIBBEAN Sugar Company (PCSC) Limited has warned that the constant illicit burning of sugar cane could be detrimental to its operations, the livelihood of its employees and the communities in which it operates.
"The illicit burning of sugar-cane fields in the areas of Westmoreland, Clarendon and St Catherine is wreaking havoc not only in the investments within Pan Caribbean Sugar Co Ltd, but stands to threaten the livelihood of thousands of persons directly employed to the company and the stability of several associate communities," read an advertisement from PCSC in the December 17 edition of The Sunday Gleaner.
PCSC is a subsidiary of the Chinese government-owned COMPLANT - the new owners of the Frome, Monymusk and Bernard Lodge estates.
"We at Pan Caribbean Sugar Company Ltd, hereby express our frustration and utter dissatisfaction with these malicious acts and we take this opportunity to appeal to those person(s) who are behind these activities to desist from such awful behaviour."
The problem has plagued the sector over the years, but according to Allan Rickards, chairman of the all-island Jamaica cane farmers association, the incidents had reduced significantly.
"One or two incidents started long before the factory began operation, but since then it has been remarkably less than previous years," he said on Monday.
"An individual may do this cruel act out of sheer malice, people trying to generate activity or persons frustrated because they are out of work, but this should not be, because who want work now can get work."
PCSC'S chief executive officer, Francis He, could not be reached for a comment.
According to the newspaper advert entitled 'Stop the illicit burning of sugar cane now'; the company said it has so far invested US$45 million in the improvement of the sugar estates under its control, and directly employs more than 1,500 workers, but has lost 8,500 tonnes of their crop, valued at US$2 million to the illegal cane fires.