By Ariti Jankie South Bureau
Story Created: Jul 18, 2010 at 1:51 AM ECT
Story Updated: Jul 23, 2010 at 2:42 AM ECT
The sugarcane industry was shut down in 2003 but Caroni (1975) Ltd continued to operate with a skeleton staff of 60 in a building on the Brechin Castle compound, Couva.
Now, the former sugar giant is waiting to make a comeback; Caroni (1975) Ltd workers feel that they can play an important role in the expansion of food production.
"We have a knowledge base of the land, a good relationship with the workers and can play a role in motivating and governing the agricultural initiative, "the company's chief executive officer, Deosaran Jagroo, said.
Jagroo said Caroni can act as a central agency to facilitate former workers.
"There is a need to organise capital investment and aid former employees who are struggling to make a living from the two-acre agricultural plots," he said.
Caroni closed its doors seven years ago sending home 7,965 workers.
The remaining 60 workers operate as part of a divestment company under the Ministry of Finance.
Included in the work yet to be done before a final shutdown are the distribution of over 7,000 residential lots to worker, issues relating to pensions and national insurance, as well as outstanding matters in the industrial and supreme courts.
Jagroo said he had not heard a single word on the future of the small existing staff since the new administration was sworn in.
He said only 200 residential lots were distributed out of 7,400 approved applicants.
"We have to wait until the land is developed by the Estate Management and Business Development Company and leases prepared before distribution," he said.
Jagroo said Caroni Ltd can play a significant role in aiding the ex-workers in the cultivation of the two-acre plots, the construction of houses on the building lots and facilitate the change from sugarcane to food crop on the remaining acres of the 78,000-acre estate.
While 95 per cent of its ex-workers received two-acre parcels of agricultural land, a total of 1,341.73 acres were set aside for residential plots to be distributed to those who did not own their own homes. The land distribution to ex-workers formed part of a Voluntary Separation of Employment Programme (VSEP).
The ex-employees were expected to step into food crop farming on the two-acre parcels and become home owners on the residential lots.
The major part of the estate comprising 38,942 acres has been occupied by agricultural tenants with 27,081 acres under sugarcane. Agricultural squatters account for 4,222 acres.
Control of the agricultural lands went to the Commissioner of State Lands with Caroni records of the remaining acres showing:
• 2,640 acres went to commercial/residential built up development;
• 5,266 acres consist of roads, traces, playgrounds and cemeteries;
• 2,988 acres under citrus cultivation;
• 3,171 acres set aside for rice cultivation;
• 4,175 acres for livestock and pasture;
• 340 acres for tree crops;
• 284 acres for aquaculture;
• 2,258 acres occupied by commercial/residential tenants, squatters and long leases.
The meltdown also saw the setting up of the Sugar Manufacturing Company Ltd at Usine Ste Madeleine, Princes Town. Processing sugarcane until 2007, the factory closed when government finally shut down the industry in 2007. The refinery operated until last April refining raw sugar purchased from neighbouring countries.
The factory at Usine Ste Madeleine forms part of Caroni's assets and is likely to restart as sugarcane farmers wait on word from the new Agriculture Ministry to hand over the asset for a bagasse production plant.
Calling for the remaining lands to be brought back under the agricultural ministry, Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath said that the estate lands were best suited for agriculture.
Another matter waiting to be settled is the sale of 135 bungalows each with 10,000 square feet of land to senior managers of the company as part of VSEP.
The matter is before the Industrial Court. Valuation of the houses was questioned by the Association of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Staff union, which challenged the sale.
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