CLARKS TOWN, Trelawny — JUST under 150 persons are expected to gain employment at the Long Pond Sugar factory in Trelawny, when the 2011/2012 crop begins at the plant early next month.

Andrew Hussey, chief executive officer at Everglades Farms, operators of the factory, told reporters last week following a tour of the facility by industry stakeholders, that US$10 million has been spent over the last 18 months to prepare the factory for the crop.

“We have done a massive upgrade from the front to the back end of the factory,” said Hussey.

The rehabilitation, he said, included rebuilding of two boilers and the refurbishing of another; installing a 100-tonne scale; repairing of the mills; overall of the conveyor system, and the overall of the power turbines.

The factory which was sold to the Hussey family in 2009 by the then Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration under its sugar divestment programme was closed for the 2009/2010 sugar crop to facilitate the rehabilitation process.

James Dawkins, the engineering manager at Long Pond, said a target of 8,000 tonnes of sugar has been set for the upcoming crop.

“This should be achieved from the crushing of 90,000 tonnes of cane — 50,000 tonnes from farmers and 40,000 tonnes from the estate,” said Dawkins. Crushing is expected to last for 11 weeks, he said.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Roger Clarke who was among the touring party told reporters that he was satisfied with the level of work that has been undertaken at the facility.

“The owners have really put their monies where they mouths are, and the expenditure will certainly pay off,” said Clarke.

Member of Parliament for Northern Trelawny Patrick Atkinson hailed the impending reopening of the factory.

“…. It really creates hope because some people even felt that the factory would never be opened,” said the recently elected MP, who is also the Attorney General.

He claimed the reopening would provide significant economic benefits to the parish.

“The fact is that people will be employed… the small cane farmers will be directly employed and there will obviously be spin offs,” he said.

Executive director at the Sugar Industry Authority, Derrick Heaven, as well as Allan Rickards, the chairman of the All Island Jamaica Cane Farmers Association also participated in the tour.