– Skeldon barely makes 50 percent of target The extended first sugar crop has ended short of its target by almost 5,000 tonnes but the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) on Friday said that it remains upbeat over the prospects of the industry and its annual target.GuySuCo’s CEO, Dr. Raj SinghThe troubled Skeldon factory was unable to even meet half of the 17,214 target set for the first crop with the corporation saying rains forced an end to production of sugar there.In a statement issued by a public relations firm, GuySuCo made no mention of the embarrassing final figures for the new US$200M factory but said it is “pleased” to report that the industry achieved 81,Jerseys NFL China,194 tons, some 5007 tons under target. The industry had set a first crop sugar production target of 86,201 tons of sugar.Rather it said that the first crop production is roughly an eight percent improvement over its 2014 production of 75,000 tons.“The improved production is a reflection of both increased productivity and quality, from improved cane yields across the industry delivering 3.1 tons of cane per hectare over budget and a one percent higher increase over budget of sugar in the cane.”All estates, excepting East Demerara (Enmore) and Skeldon, managed to surpass their targets.GuySuCo admitted that Skeldon Estate began grinding four weeks later than scheduled as a result of the late arrival of critical materials required for the completion of the modification works on its pump dumper which commenced during the last out-of-crop period.“Production at Skeldon was further restricted by the May-June rains prematurelyGuySuCo’s first crop has fallen short by 5,000 tonnes but its Skeldon factory continues to struggle.halting production, resulting in some 95,000 tons of first crop canes remaining to be harvested in the second crop.”GuySuCo insisted that had the weather permitted the harvesting of the 95,000 tonnes of first crop canes, Skeldon sugar estate would have produced 15,053 tons of sugar. It had originally set 17,214 tonnes.Enmore had begun grinding two weeks later than scheduled due to the late arrival of materials for factory maintenance. Work, GuySuCo said, begun in the out-of-crop period but rain forced a premature halt to production, leaving 45,000 tons of first crop canes to be harvested in the second crop.“Had both Skeldon and the East Demerara Estates been able to complete production of all of its first crop cane remaining to be harvested,Manchester United Fan Shop UK, the total first crop would have exceeded 91, 000 tons, that is, in excess of the targeted production of 86,Cheap Nike NFL Store,201 tons,” GuySuCo said.GuySuCo remained confident of still meeting the annual target. “It is important to note that the remaining un-harvested cane from the first crop will be harvested in the second crop,Cheap Hockey Jerseys, which will result in the industry achieving its targeted 2015 production of 241,China Jerseys,503 tons of sugar.Last year, GuySuCo’s first crop target was set at 74,616 tonnes – the industry recorded 74,842 tonnes.As of mid-April, the multi-billion-dollar Skeldon factory had recorded a mere 2,656 tonnes of the 17,214 tonnes targeted. Grinding began almost a month late in mid-March and was set to last eight weeks. This was because work was being done to fix the punt dumpers which troubled the factory since being commissioned in 2009.Extending the crop would have severely impacted the expenses of GuySuCo which has been fighting to keep costs down.The sugar industry is in deep trouble; an embarrassment to the previous Government which lost the May 11 General and Regional Elections.GuySuco’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Raj Singh,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, was a candidate for the PPP during the recent elections.The new Government under President David Granger has vowed to keep the 16,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys,000 workers’ strong industry alive. Some of the turnaround plans will see diversification of some of the services.GuySuCo earlier this year said it was forced to sell the US$32M co-generation plant at Skeldon estate, to the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), to raise some US$30M.The US$200M Skeldon project has failed to produce as expected, with one problem after the next. The industry itself is producing sugar at double the price it is selling for.The PPP government had plugged more than US$50M in recent years into the industry which went mostly to help pay salaries and other overheads.The new administration wants to spend $20B over the next five years to turn the fortunes of the industry around. Sugar has been one of the major issues raised during campaigning ahead of Monday’s general elections.