Sugar Industry: Better late than never
- By R. C.
- Published 3rd November, 2007
All the hopes of the small planters have been wiped away because the minister of agro industry and the executive director of the M.S.A are hands in glove.The small planters grouped in the Mauritius Planters Association,(M.P.A) had the hope that once the Mauritius Sugar Authority would haven been set up,they would be able to breath a little.But after its setting up,every thing has turned upside down.The share that should come them is going in the pockets of the miller planters and millers.
The M.P.A founded in 1975 decided to change the scenarios of the sugar industry because at that time we had people who really had at heart the real REFORM of the industry.People like Sir Anerood Jugnauth,Jugdish Goburdhun,Madun Dulloo,Swaley Kasenally,Ramduth Juddoo,Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo,Rafick Chatharoo just to mention some,tour the country and explained to the planters the many injustices that were being done to them.
They were not getting the proper share of their by products like Bagasse and Molasses.The millers were giving them only 74% of them when they were to get 100%.A case was taken to the Supreme Court by the M.P.A and the planters won it and from that time onwards planters are getting the full share of their by products.
Motions were made in the Parliament during the Labour/PMSD Govt and SSR was put to minority on various issues concerning the small planters.The M.P.A started shouting about the scandals in the sugar industry and at that time it was really"King Sugar".The Association shouted high and loud that the then government should come up with a commission of enquiry in the sugar industry to know the reality and truth in the sugar industry.This is how the idea of having a Sugar Authority germinated in the minds of the people mentioned above.The then government,that is the Labour/PMSD government ,refused to give the Commission Of Inquiry as they were all working in the benefits of the sugar barons.The M.P.A left no stone unturned and mobilised the whole country and we know the result of the 1982 election.
Both Ramgoolam's Labour party and Gaetan Duval's PMSD were wiped out from the political scene.This was the first 60/0 which showed that the population had had enough of the old thoughts and they were thrown in the political bins democratically.
The new government came with fresh blood and new modern ideas for the country.The population pushed a sigh of relief.
But again the sugar barons were not happy and with the power of their money ,they split the government and the Labour party had to be dug out from their graves,stinking as they were,to form a government of transition.We all know the results of the 1983 election,but the idea of having the commission of enquiry in the sugar industry was still alive and it happened in the same year.
The Mauritius Planters Association once again tour the country and asked proposals from the planters what they wanted and all agreed to have an apex body in the name of the Mauritius Sugar Authority (M.S.A)to handle the sugar barons and the industry as a whole. This was to be financed by a cess money to be directly deducted at source.It had the responsibility to be as a watch dog to the industry and to see that all the partners of the sugar industry get their due and equal share,both in sugar and its by products.The M.P.A prepared its memorandum and deponed before the commissionner who was Mr Avramovic.It was at that time that for the first time, the M.P.A mentioned that sugar should be considered as a by product and that the by products like bagasse and molasses had
more added value than sugar.
Bagasse would be used as a combustible to produce electricity and molasses to produce ethanol,consumable alcohol,industrial alcohol and other products as well.These two by products would bring more money than sugar in the long run.
The sugar barons were dead against the idea and considered it as a negative proposal,but secretly were planning to go into it and reap the maximum profit out of the two by products at the detriment of the small planters who contributed about 40% of the total sugar production.We still have in mind Bagapelle. Bagasse was compressed into pellets to be used as a combustible to produce electricity.
Much interest was not given to it as sugar was bringing a very good price to keep the industry viable.The barons made excessive profits and started diversifying the profits from sugar to textile and tourism industries.Who can deny those facts.The Mauritius Sugar Authority failed in its tasks and instead left the Sugar Barons to continue with their dirty tasks exploiting the small planters,the field workers,the artisans and made themselves richer.
They started to invest in power production by burning bagasse and exporting electricity to the grid.They really minted money and that made their appetite bigger.The SAJgovernment came with laws that part of the profits made from selling electricity should go to the small planters as well and the M.S.A was given the responsibilty to handle the issue.
What did we see?Instead of equity,the biggest share went to the barons and that planters got peanuts for their bagasse and molasses.
Since some years back,the E.U decided to reduce the price of sugar by 36%.Due to globalisation,the E.U,in order to help the economy decided to give all the A.C.P countries a certain sum of money as accompanying measures to help the economy to continue to progress.They want trade and not aid.
Some conditions were attached to the offer before the disbursement.The M.S.A was asked to prepare a report mainly for the sugar sector to submit to the E.U so that the money could be disbursed.The sectors were identified.Energy production form bagasse,ethanol and "Rhum Agricole" to be produced from molasses.The M.S.A prepared a report which it called the M.A.A.S, Multi Annual Adaptation Strategy plan to be implemented up to 2015.This was supposed to be made with the participation of all partners of the industry,viz the miller planters,millers,small planters,large planters,workers, other stakeholders of the sugar sector.
To our surprise,the M.S.A called only the miller planters and millers who are the biggest stake holders to prepare the report and it came out with measures only to make the sugar barons richer and the small planters got almost nothing.
The report was approved by the Ramgoolam cabinet and when planters went through it,they saw the catastrophe that the M.S.A has done.They started shouting and at the beginning the Prime minister,instead of meeting the planters and discussing with them,only accused them of"demagogues".This is labour government and what else can we expect from them.When his intelligence units told him what damage the report has caused in the public,then he started saying that some partners in the sugar sector are very greedy and want to become richer on others shoulder.Shame on him and his government.He approved something and he himself went against it.He should have resigned from his post.His minister of agro industry as well as his executive director of the M.S.A should have been sacked.
Never mind.It's better late than never.Now he wants to redress the situation and we are all with him.we will support him to the end.He must call all partners of the industry and ask them to make suggestions.We are here to see how he will procede and will watch the situation very closely.
The M.P.A founded in 1975 decided to change the scenarios of the sugar industry because at that time we had people who really had at heart the real REFORM of the industry.People like Sir Anerood Jugnauth,Jugdish Goburdhun,Madun Dulloo,Swaley Kasenally,Ramduth Juddoo,Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo,Rafick Chatharoo just to mention some,tour the country and explained to the planters the many injustices that were being done to them.
They were not getting the proper share of their by products like Bagasse and Molasses.The millers were giving them only 74% of them when they were to get 100%.A case was taken to the Supreme Court by the M.P.A and the planters won it and from that time onwards planters are getting the full share of their by products.
Motions were made in the Parliament during the Labour/PMSD Govt and SSR was put to minority on various issues concerning the small planters.The M.P.A started shouting about the scandals in the sugar industry and at that time it was really"King Sugar".The Association shouted high and loud that the then government should come up with a commission of enquiry in the sugar industry to know the reality and truth in the sugar industry.This is how the idea of having a Sugar Authority germinated in the minds of the people mentioned above.The then government,that is the Labour/PMSD government ,refused to give the Commission Of Inquiry as they were all working in the benefits of the sugar barons.The M.P.A left no stone unturned and mobilised the whole country and we know the result of the 1982 election.
Both Ramgoolam's Labour party and Gaetan Duval's PMSD were wiped out from the political scene.This was the first 60/0 which showed that the population had had enough of the old thoughts and they were thrown in the political bins democratically.
The new government came with fresh blood and new modern ideas for the country.The population pushed a sigh of relief.
But again the sugar barons were not happy and with the power of their money ,they split the government and the Labour party had to be dug out from their graves,stinking as they were,to form a government of transition.We all know the results of the 1983 election,but the idea of having the commission of enquiry in the sugar industry was still alive and it happened in the same year.
The Mauritius Planters Association once again tour the country and asked proposals from the planters what they wanted and all agreed to have an apex body in the name of the Mauritius Sugar Authority (M.S.A)to handle the sugar barons and the industry as a whole. This was to be financed by a cess money to be directly deducted at source.It had the responsibility to be as a watch dog to the industry and to see that all the partners of the sugar industry get their due and equal share,both in sugar and its by products.The M.P.A prepared its memorandum and deponed before the commissionner who was Mr Avramovic.It was at that time that for the first time, the M.P.A mentioned that sugar should be considered as a by product and that the by products like bagasse and molasses had
Bagasse would be used as a combustible to produce electricity and molasses to produce ethanol,consumable alcohol,industrial alcohol and other products as well.These two by products would bring more money than sugar in the long run.
The sugar barons were dead against the idea and considered it as a negative proposal,but secretly were planning to go into it and reap the maximum profit out of the two by products at the detriment of the small planters who contributed about 40% of the total sugar production.We still have in mind Bagapelle. Bagasse was compressed into pellets to be used as a combustible to produce electricity.
Much interest was not given to it as sugar was bringing a very good price to keep the industry viable.The barons made excessive profits and started diversifying the profits from sugar to textile and tourism industries.Who can deny those facts.The Mauritius Sugar Authority failed in its tasks and instead left the Sugar Barons to continue with their dirty tasks exploiting the small planters,the field workers,the artisans and made themselves richer.
They started to invest in power production by burning bagasse and exporting electricity to the grid.They really minted money and that made their appetite bigger.The SAJgovernment came with laws that part of the profits made from selling electricity should go to the small planters as well and the M.S.A was given the responsibilty to handle the issue.
What did we see?Instead of equity,the biggest share went to the barons and that planters got peanuts for their bagasse and molasses.
Since some years back,the E.U decided to reduce the price of sugar by 36%.Due to globalisation,the E.U,in order to help the economy decided to give all the A.C.P countries a certain sum of money as accompanying measures to help the economy to continue to progress.They want trade and not aid.
Some conditions were attached to the offer before the disbursement.The M.S.A was asked to prepare a report mainly for the sugar sector to submit to the E.U so that the money could be disbursed.The sectors were identified.Energy production form bagasse,ethanol and "Rhum Agricole" to be produced from molasses.The M.S.A prepared a report which it called the M.A.A.S, Multi Annual Adaptation Strategy plan to be implemented up to 2015.This was supposed to be made with the participation of all partners of the industry,viz the miller planters,millers,small planters,large planters,workers, other stakeholders of the sugar sector.
To our surprise,the M.S.A called only the miller planters and millers who are the biggest stake holders to prepare the report and it came out with measures only to make the sugar barons richer and the small planters got almost nothing.
The report was approved by the Ramgoolam cabinet and when planters went through it,they saw the catastrophe that the M.S.A has done.They started shouting and at the beginning the Prime minister,instead of meeting the planters and discussing with them,only accused them of"demagogues".This is labour government and what else can we expect from them.When his intelligence units told him what damage the report has caused in the public,then he started saying that some partners in the sugar sector are very greedy and want to become richer on others shoulder.Shame on him and his government.He approved something and he himself went against it.He should have resigned from his post.His minister of agro industry as well as his executive director of the M.S.A should have been sacked.
Never mind.It's better late than never.Now he wants to redress the situation and we are all with him.we will support him to the end.He must call all partners of the industry and ask them to make suggestions.We are here to see how he will procede and will watch the situation very closely.
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