The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has once again delivered a disappointing performance in its 2025 first crop, with total output reportedly less than 15,000 tonnes-less than half of its projected target. The crop, which should have closed by April 30, was further hampered by persistent rains, leaving all estates significantly below expectations and with no clear plan for immediate recovery.

This latest shortfall intensifies scrutiny on GuySuCo’s management and the government’s substantial financial support for the industry. Despite billions invested in recapitalization, mechanization, and technical assistance-including experts from India and Cuba-GuySuCo’s production woes persist. In 2024, the sector contracted by 21.8%, producing just over 47,000 tonnes against a target of 63,276 tonnes, and the first crop of that year saw only 7,000 tonnes produced out of a projected 16,000.

President Irfaan Ali and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha have both publicly expressed deep dissatisfaction with GuySuCo’s ongoing underperformance. The President has issued a stern warning: if the first and second crop targets for 2025 are not met, significant management changes will follow. Minister Mustapha echoed this sentiment, stating that some estate managers are already being reassigned or replaced in an effort to boost efficiency and reduce production costs.

While modernization efforts-including converting more land for mechanized cultivation and upgrading equipment-are underway, the lack of results has fueled frustration. The government’s ambitious target remains 100,000 tonnes of sugar for 2025, but with the current trajectory, urgent reforms and a turnaround in management and operational strategy appear inevitable if GuySuCo is to avoid further decline and justify continued public investment.