105 hired as works start at Rose Hall Estate

After being closed for almost three years, the Rose Hall Estate yesterday began humming back to life with the hiring of 105 workers and operations are underway to restart some field operations.

Aaron Dukhia, the Manager of the Rose Hall Estate, yesterday disclosed that so far a total of 105 persons were employed while works are presently ongoing for mechanical tillage.

Some members of the media were yesterday taken on a tour of the estate’s workshop and the cultivation, where rehabilitation is presently ongoing. Stabroek News noticed workers cleaning punts, lighting old canes on fire and “sweeping canes” in preparation for mechanical tillage. 

Dukhia told reporters that he was tasked with putting the Rose Hall Estate back into operation with the intention “of making sugar in another two years”.

According to Dukhia, while the challenge is not an easy one, it is possible with a collective effort. “The entire operation will have to be started from zero,” he said, echoing a similar statement made by President Irfaan Ali earlier in the week.

In addition to the 105 who have been hired, there is a register for severed sugar workers which has attracted a total of 490 names up to yesterday, while 73 persons have registered for first-time employment. “So that indication itself is telling us that people want to work and it’s our objective to ensure that they are rewarded with that job,” Dukhia said. “The employees we have now are some staff, some skilled operators and mechanics and some field workers that are engaged in burning of fields and cleaning of the fields etc for mechanical tillage operations,” he stated.   

The APNU+AFC’s shutting of four sugar estates had left rural communities in shock and around 7,000 workers without jobs.

According to Dukhia, by the end of 2021 they should employ around 1,900 persons at Rose Hall Estate aside from workers who will be necessary to harvest cane since they are expected to produce sugar in the first crop of 2022. 

The estate manager took the opportunity to appeal to members of the Canje community to lend their support and make use of the employment that will be offered. “As we need you, turn up for work,” he stressed.  

He further stated, that the two main objectives of the reopening of the estate are to produce sugar and contribute to the economy, and at the same time ensure that persons who were severed regain secure employment “that is badly needed because there is not much alternative in this area.”

Dukhia added that more workers are expected to be hired in about two weeks’ time.   

Meanwhile, Dukhia lamented the state of the cultivation, while noting that the estate’s approximately 6,688 hectares were left abandoned. “It is overrun with weeds [and] old canes. The navigation system is also overgrown with weeds. So, it’s a tall order to get this back into operation but I strongly feel my staff and the people of this community and environs has the resilience to make this happen,” he said. 

Dukhia noted that they have been engaging contractors with machinery because “the estates do not have the kind of machinery and tillage equipment to carry out the tillage programme that we want to carry out in order to achieve that grinding of canes in the first crop of 2022.”

When questioned, Dukhia said GuySuCo has started the process to source new agricultural machinery but instead of waiting for that to be completed they have embarked on outsourcing to get some works completed. 

Also, in terms of the houses in the managers’ compound, Dukhia confirmed that none were sold but some were rented. He said they are looking at the situation since they will need those houses for staff. 

‘Second chance’

Meanwhile, during a tour of a part of the cultivation yesterday, members of the team that is presently spearheading the works at the estate explained their involvement.

Mohammed Amin Jaffar, an Assistant Field Manager, said that he retired in 2014 but heeded the call to return since he wants to play a part in ensuring that persons within the community regain employment. He said in order for persons to regain secure employment the estate must be up and running and producing sugar at a profit.

“Our objective this crop here is to till 200 hectares, next year we propose to till 1500 hectares and replant 1700 hectares, so come 2022 we propose to make 6,000 tonnes of sugar in the first crop and 8000 in the second crop,” he explained. 

Jaffar stressed that he strongly believes that they will make their target.

Pertab Kuldip, Field Superintendent, said that in 2017 he was laid off from the Rose Hall Estate. “During that time before commencement at Rose Hall Estate I was part-time with SPU (Special Project Unit) to be able to maintain my family,” he noted. 

“It’s a great pleasure to have been called back to GuySuCo and Rose Hall Estate. It’s a second chance being given to me,” he added. 

He said that he is also grateful to have the confidence of his seniors to play a part in reviving the estate.

Kuldip, who is from Reliance, East Canje, Berbice said that workers in his community have been extremely excited to “book back their names to be back.” 

Doodnauth Danram, Assistant Field Manager, Tillage, who was severed from the Wales Estate said, that when he lost his job he started a garden. However, he said, that he was extremely happy to be called back to “serve GuySuCo.” 

Stabroek News also spoke with Ashraf Khan, of Canefield, who was cleaning punts. The father of two said that he was extremely happy to be able to regain employment at the estate.

He said, since being laid off he was not able to secure any full-time employment. 

During yesterday’s tour of the estate’s workshop, Stabroek News saw a large quantity of machinery apparently left to rot while for some pieces, parts were noticeably missing. 

In the cultivation it was noticed that the canals had been overrun by vegetation, some bridges were vandalized and wood stolen. Cows and other animals were seen left to graze in the cultivation.