How Does the Sugar Industry Bounce Back?

So how does the industry bounce back? Since there is no insurance for the cane farmers, the government had promised the disbursement of drought relief funds. While there are reports that several persons have received assistance, News Five has been informed that a large number of farmers in the north have not benefitted.  Cane Farmers Relations Manager Olivia Avilez says that farmers must prepare their fields to ensure that the next cycle is productive.

On the Phone: Olivia Avilez, Manager, Cane Farmers Relations, B.S.I.

“The canes that were harvested last year in December and early January are definitely severely impacted by the drought and here is where the farmers will need to cut those fields out, maintain it, do their maintenance; fertilize it, do the controls and allow that to grow and go through its normal cycle for the following year. Yes those fields would be considered completely loss and that’s where the farmers would specifically need the drought relief efforts because that is considered a lot. If they don’t cut those fields and allow it to go, just without any maintenance, you also have an impact because it will go through another drought—the normal drought period—so it will have an extended drought period as well. So the best thing to do with those fields is we need to take the loss of those, cut it out, clean it, maintain it and have it ready for the next crop season.”

Given the estimates, the milling of sugar cane at the factory is expected to conclude in early June.