As the 2013/2014 sugar crop in the Caribbean winds down, Jamaica, Belize, Barbados and Guyana have produced just under 500,000 tonnes of the commodity, up to the end of June. The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) says year-to-date production figure is 499,272 tonnes.
Guyana was the lead producer with 218,708 tonnes, followed by Jamaica with 152,868 tonnes. Belize was in third place with 113,337 tonnes and Barbados 14,359 tons.
Last month Belize was the lead producer followed by Jamaica.
The crop in Jamaica is expected to end this month.
Exports
In the meantime, the SAC has revealed that, for the current sugar crop, regional producers have exported 291,524 tonnes of the sweetener. The bulk of the exports went to the European Union, followed by CARICOM and other markets.
Jamaica will this month dispatch its final cargo to the EU for 2013/2014.
Karl James, Chairman of the SAC, says Caribbean producers are now considering how they will dispose of sugar produced in the future, in light of the depressed EU market.
View the original article here
Half-a-million tonnes of sugar produced so far by SAC members