Sugar estates failing to meet targets will see changes – President warns

President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Saturday afternoon met with Board of Directors and Management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) where he expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of estates’ management and their inability to achieve the 2025 targets.

The President informed management that every estate will be held accountable for achieving its targets. In a short post on his official Facebook page, he noted that “beginning with the first crop of 2026, estates that fail to meet their targets will see changes.”

GuySuCo closed the 2025 year with a dismal 59,200 metric tonnes. This figure is still short of the orgsanisation’s revised target of 60,000 metric tonne.

In November, the President signaled a new era of accountability, modernisation and performance-based management of the corporation.

His remarks referenced long-standing claims by former sugar estate manager Vishnu Panday, who had publicly criticised what he believed to be entrenched mismanagement across the sector. The President said those practices “disguised by class talk and fanciful language” will no longer be tolerated as the industry undergoes aggressive restructuring.

Speaking during an extensive press conference during an outreach in Region Six, the President said sugar remains an important part of the regional economy, but investment must now be matched by results.

‘Panday mismanagement syndrome’ to be eradicated from sugar industry — President Ali declares