Sugar harvest grinds to a halt amid factory disruption

Strike puts cane harvest, sugar quality at risk — Sealy

The group representing private cane growers complained on Thursday that their livelihoods were in limbo as a strike at Portvale Sugar Factory ended a second week, warning that with each day of stoppage, their cane fields are deteriorating and losses mounting, the farmers’ spokesman has told Barbados TODAY exclusively.   A group of factory employees belonging to the Caswell Franklyn-led Unity Workers Union (UWU) are seeking recognition for the UW…

Sugar harvest grinds to a halt amid factory disruption

The 2026 sugar harvest has effectively ground to a halt. A temporary suspension of the grinding of cane and shift work at the Portvale Sugar Factory has resulted in no cane being reaped and growing concern about the spoilage of those already cut. Operations Manager of the Barbados Energy & Sugar Company, Shanice Stevenson, has issued a memorandum to workers indicating that, starting tomorrow, Friday, March 27, 2026, all shift work will be tempor…