Another bad week for cane crush

[posted 5 July 2010,1330]

Crushing at all four mills last week was plagued by stoppages due to mill breakdowns or poor cane supply.

With crushing into its fifth week only about 3000 tonnes of sugar has been manufactured. The average TCTS ratio continues to be high and farmers are losing about 4 tonnes of cane for every tonne of sugar made.

“It is the same story as last year. Regrettably, FSC can’t put its act together and has been bluffing through. It is making a fool of the Sugar Ministry which keeps harping that things will pick up after a while,” said an informed source within the industry.

NFU has established that the first export shipment is not scheduled until 15 August, which is quite late compared to last year when the first shipment left our shores a month earlier in July.

For how long will FSC be allowed to plead “teething problems” as a cover up for its gross incompetence and negligence which is costing the industry and the farmers losses running into tens of millions of dollars?

It is time to take a very serious stock of things if the industry is to be saved.