GuySuCo Managers ordered to cease “boss boy attitudes”, build worker morale – Mustapha

With an ambitious target of 101,000 tonnes of sugar set for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) this year, estate Managers have been warned to cease their “boss-boy attitudes” and work closely with the workers in order to boost morale.

During his appearance on a budget focus show, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, spoke of the challenges that have faced the sugar sector, but also his optimism for its turnaround.

He noted that already, 40 per cent of GuySuCo’s cultivation processes are being done by machinery.

“We know for a fact that sugar had contracted 21 per cent last year. We are hoping to have a rebound of sugar this year. The target set is 101,000 tonnes. I am very optimistic and will be working very closely with GuySuCo. You heard that the president read the riot act to GuySuCo,” he stated.

“We did a number of changes in the management structure. And we are hoping with the kind of work that was done over the last few months, almost 40 per cent of GuySuCo’s cultivation have been mechanised already. They are now purchasing new harvesters, new loaders. So that those things can take in the slacks that were created by the labour shortage,” Mustapha explained.

Mustapha also noted that he has met with GuySuCo’s management on a number of occasions and they are aware of what is expected from them.

For instance, Mustapha explained, GuySuCo Managers have been told of the need to boost workers morale, rather than pulling rank on workers.

The Minister also warned that he himself will be making unannounced, impromptu visits to various sugar estates throughout the year, to ensure Managers are carrying out their duties as expected.

“So, $13.3 billion has been allocated to GuySuCo, to bring back GuySuCo to the point we want it to go. We want GuySuCo to reduce the cost of production and we want GuySuCo to produce effectively, and maximum production must come out of GuySuCo. I’m hoping that that can help us,” he disclosed.

“And I know there are still problems there. Only this morning, some workers were texting me and I instructed GuySuCo that they must work very closely with the workers, so they can build their morale. We must not have this kind of ‘boss boy’ attitude on the estates. I told them this already. I myself will be visiting some of the estates and see what is going on, without announcing I’m going in there,” he added.

GuySuCo was allocated $13.3 billion out of the total $104.6 billion that was allocated for agriculture in the 2025 budget.

In his budget presentation, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, had revealed that sugar production is estimated to have declined by 21.8 per cent in 2024, with GuySuCo producing 47,103 tonnes.

The Minister had attributed the poor performance of the sector to El Niño, and a shortage of labour, which affected the industry year-round.

This year, another 3,000 acres will be converted to further support GuySuCo’s mechanisation programme.

Under the former APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change) Government, the sugar sector was marred by severe economic mismanagement, including the closure of several GuySuCo sugar estates, which resulted in more than 7,000 job losses, and devastation to tens of thousands of households reliant on the sugar industry.

Between 2020 and 2024, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Government invested $45 billion to revitalise the sector and make it a vital component of the country’s developmental plans.

With a focus on strengthening internal cooperation, the Government hopes to bring the sugar industry back to its former glory, contributing once again to the nation’s development and economic growth.

Between 2020 and 2024, the Government invested a whopping $45 billion in the sugar industry, to revitalise the sector and make it a vital component of the country’s developmental plans.

The focus has been on modernising operations, including the mechanisation of estates, with almost 40 per cent of the estates now automated.

Additionally, efforts have been made to recapitalise the industry by replacing broken infrastructure and systems to improve efficiency.

During an interview late last year, President Dr Irfaan Ali had made it clear that “heads will roll” if the first and second crop targets for GuySuCo are not met in 2025.