GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Against the backdrop of decades of decline in one of Guyana’s oldest industries, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party is making a bold electoral pitch: not only to modernise and diversify the sugar sector, but to guarantee that no sugar estate will be closed.
Unveiled in their national plan dubbed Agrivision 2030, WIN’s proposals reflect deep concern for the thousands of families still dependent on the sugar industry, a sector that once formed the backbone of Guyana’s economy but has suffered major losses due to outdated infrastructure, rising production costs, and falling global prices.
In the party’s platform document, WIN argues that the industry is “failing” but still salvageable through a combination of mechanisation, legal reform, land access, and crop diversification. The plan outlines over a dozen specific commitments aimed at both saving sugar jobs and transitioning the sector toward long-term sustainability.
THE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN CONTEXT
Sugar production in Guyana has been on a steady decline for more than two decades. In the 1970s and 80s, sugar contributed significantly to GDP and foreign exchange earnings. But by 2017, falling global prices and mismanagement pushed the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to shutter several estates; including Wales, Rose Hall, Skeldon, and Enmore, displacing thousands of workers.
In 2020, the Irfaan Ali administration made efforts to reopen some estates, pledging to revitalise the industry. However, government audits later revealed ballooning wage bills, technical inefficiencies, and poor return on investments.
GuySuCo reported production at just over 56,000 tonnes in 2022, far below the annual target of 100,000 tonnes, prompting questions about long-term viability. Meanwhile, calls have grown for a shift to diversification, as regional competitors like Belize and Jamaica have done, investing in value-added products, by-products like ethanol, and alternative crops.
WIN’S PROMISES: MODERNISE, DIVERSIFY, AND PROTECT JOBS
WIN’s Agrivision 2030 pledges to address these structural issues head-on. Among its top commitments:
- Revising the 1965 National Cane Farming Committee Act to better support today’s small-scale cane farmers.
- Increasing wages for sugar workers — a move likely to draw interest in rural constituencies where wage stagnation has been a sore point.
- Replacing outdated factory machinery and fully mechanising the industry to reduce production costs and dependency on manual labour.
- Subsidising land access for sugar workers and launching a land-to-the-tillers programme with constitutional guarantees.
- Reconfiguring Rose Hall Estate as a centre for sugar by-products.
- Establishing a backend refinery at Albion to expand processing capacity and introduce energy-efficient technologies.
Crucially, the party says it will offer grants, incentives, and tax cuts to encourage investment in crop diversification, conduct feasibility studies on alternative crops, and lease at least 10% of cane land to organised farming groups through the National Cane Farming Committee (NCFC).
A POLITICAL GAMBLE OR ECONOMIC PRAGMATISM?
WIN’s message may resonate with many sugar workers who felt abandoned after estate closures under both PPP and APNU+AFC governments. However, the challenge of modernising an industry plagued by debt and inefficiencies will require significant capital and coordination.
Economists have repeatedly warned that mechanisation alone will not fix sugar’s structural problems. Diversification, they say, must be driven by market data, demand forecasting, and export planning, not just political promises. Meanwhile, efforts to support ex-sugar workers must also include job retraining, rural infrastructure, and access to credit for farming alternatives.
Still, by pledging not to close any sugar estate and focusing on land redistribution, WIN is tapping into historic grievances and economic anxieties that remain raw in many regions. The party’s message attempts to blend nostalgia with a modern plan, appealing both to tradition and transformation.
LOOKING AHEAD
As the 2025 General and Regional Elections draw closer, WIN’s Agrivision 2030 policy gives a glimpse into how the party hopes to distinguish itself on rural and economic issues. Whether voters see this plan as credible or politically convenient will be determined at the polls.
But for now, one message is clear; WIN wants to bring sugar back, not just as an economic engine, but as a symbol of inclusion, equity, and national development.
