Guyana’s Golden Brown,Now Golden Yellow

The economic and socio political history of Guyana was-and perhaps still is inextricably bound up with that agricultural produce and product known as CANE SUGAR.

The bulk of Guyanese are descended from folks brought here to work in the European owned sugar-plantations. “Demerara Brown” has enriched Europe; then brought significant funds into independent Guyana since 1966. Just a few years ago, those same Europeans, feeling the need to save themselves from fiscal calamity, abandoned African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) sugar-producing suppliers, in terms of years-long preferential tariffs and quotas granted to them. Guyana suffered immensely, as the E.U. “everyman-for-himself” economic policy kicked in.

Meanwhile Guyana secured Chinese support for a “State-of-the-Art” factory complex at Skeldon, Upper Corentyne, Berbice, that was meant to bring down the cost-per-pound of producing Guyana’s historical crop. Alas, this, still, is not to be many, many months after its start-up, Skeldon has been a symbol of failure and frustration, even close to a national White Elephant. Agriculture Minister Ramsammy has just been very frank about the modern factory’s short comings, whilst still offering some assurances.

You Guyanese, once or still connected with Guyana’s historic sugar industry must be pained at these developments. Sugar has :made” thousands of Guyanese what they are today, wherever they are. Next time I’ll tell you of “BASDEO AND THE GUYSUCO BOARDROOM”.

Meanwhile that other precious natural resource that Guyana has in the bowels of its earth and water – the Golden Yellow Metal now has pushed brown sugar aside. GOLD is now raking in the millions in foreign exchange for the country. During 2013 I’ll be offering my descriptions and perspectives on the modern-day gold industry here in Guyana. Just for 2012 and just for the gold DECLARED – Guyana earned $737M(US)!

A massive socio-economic transformation has occurred over the last decade and a half in Guyana’s Regions One, Seven and Eight and Nine – the Mazaruni, Potaro and Cuyuni and Rupununi. From old African – Guyanese pork-knockers to now even Indian big-time Claim – holders and miners, the aggressive, well-equipped Brazilians with their strategic strangle-holds in our hinterland; the deficiencies of the Geology and Mines monitors; the rampant upsurge in hideous crime born of “gold greed” and the implications for Guyana’s first occupants of the hinterland – the Amerindians, will all be “explored”. Stay tuned.