Dry spell dims harvest prospects as cane farmers look to improve yields

Barbados’ sugar industry is exploring year-round electricity generation for the national grid, with cane farmers and the government examining the use of bagasse, king grass and high-fibre cane to help secure the industry’s future, Barbados TODAY can reveal.

The plans would mark a significant shift from the traditional production of raw sugar and molasses towards new models that can feed the national grid with green power.

Mark Sealy, chairman of Barbados Sugar Industry Limited (BSIL), said on Monday that his grouping of private cane farmers was collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and the cooperative-run Barbados Energy and Sugar Company (BESCO) to ensure the centuries-old industry’s future was efficient and sustainable.