GuySuCo uncovers massive fertilizer, chemical racket, several fired more to be axed

In a sweeping move to tackle a massive fraudulent scheme involving chemicals, the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has fired six senior staffers in Berbice.
More than 20 workers at the Demerara estates, including seniors, are also set to be sent home, in a separate incident, after a significant quantity of fertilizer was found dumped in canefields around the Ogle area.
The cost of the chemicals and fertilizers are believed to be in the tens of millions with GuySuCo now placing the matter in the hands of the police.
According to industry officials, in the case of Skeldon estate, Berbice, GuySuCo received reports over three weeks ago that a significant quantity of chemicals, to help control weeds, had not been applied.
Several staffers, among them a field manager, was questioned. Six of the staffers, including a manager were dismissed after the Corporation remained unimpressed with explanations over the whereabouts of the chemicals.
The chemicals were suspected to have been sold to private cane farmers
In the case of the Demerara estates, GuySuCo’s Management received reports of the fertilizers not being applied.

GuySuCo in deep financial crisis

President Donald Ramotar

- owes creditors $10.5B

“No turnaround unless industry fixes agri problems” – GAWU warns

Government, this year, will be scrambling to find solutions for the country’s sugar industry as production fell to an embarrassing 23-year low in 2013.
Production at the eight estates in Berbice and Demerara closed on December 21, the last day of grinding, at a dismal 186,807 tonnes. This was below the 190,000-tonne figure that had been targeted and which had been revised again and again from the original 260,000 tonnes at the beginning of the year. The situation has now left the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) owing banks and suppliers in excess of $10.5B, union officials confirmed yesterday.
Last month, the National Assembly approved a $4B bailout to help pay its 16,000-plus workers and meet other critical expenditure.
However, according to Seepaul Narine, General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the largest sugar workers’ union, the $4B will not be enough.

Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

Once the ‘sweet king’, earning the hog’s share of foreign exchange, sugar has slid to third, behind gold and rice.
Already, the Corporation is facing the squeeze from its suppliers, with a number of them refusing to extend more credit. Hard-hit are supplies of spares and fertilizers.
Insiders have been blaming GuySuCo’s agriculture and technical problems, at especially its flagship Skeldon factory, as the biggest contributor to the decline of the industry.
Almost $200M has been spent to build the new factory in East Berbice and develop new lands to accommodate mechanical harvesting.
Kaieteur News was told that a cash-strapped GuySuCo took the decision to reduce its fertilizer quantity on the canes and is now paying the price with lower-than-expected yields.
The Skeldon factory itself remains a major problem. While it had targeted 43,482 tonnes at the beginning of the year, actual production at December 21 was a miserly 25,380 tonnes.

The government on Saturday ordered a review of activities at all state-owned hospitals to end what the health minister called systemic corruption, as part of the new administration's crackdown on malpractice in the healthcare sector.

Lucky Baseman did not get in on this, he would have out corrupt Bobby.