Barbados Energy and Sugar Company (BESCO) will cut 10 jobs after the 2026 sugar harvest, saying on Monday the layoffs are needed to rein in costs and safeguard the future of the island’s only sugar factory amid sustained financial strain.

BESCO said the layoffs formed part of a limited restructuring aimed at aligning its staffing and operating costs with the company’s current commercial realities.

The company described the move as “extremely difficult” and said it had not been taken lightly, acknowledging the personal impact the decision would have on affected employees and their families.