Functions of the SCPC

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the SCPC shall bear overall responsibility for all aspects of sugar cane production, harvesting and delivery, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, shall perform the following functions– (a) upon the commencement of this Act, arrange to conduct a comprehensive cane production census, and every 3 years thereafter, to gather Sugar Industry Act 19 cane production data, including but not limited to, acreage under cultivation, cane cycles, varieties grown, soil type on which cane is grown and estimated yields; (b) conduct yearly field surveys to ascertain registered cane farmers actually in production, acreage under production and their estimated yields; (c) set up a system that will require cane farmers to report on any change in their cane production system, including, but not limited to, new acreage planted and replanted acreage; (d) develop, maintain and update a cane production data base; (e) establish a Cane Farmers Register for the (f) provide a copy of the Cane Farmer Register to processors and the association at least 4 weeks before the commencement of crop; (g) determine the basic cane production of each cane farmer on such information as the SCPC may consider appropriate, and based on each cane farmer production assessment, establish branch and divisional cane production estimates; (h) establish at the commencement of each crop the allocated delivery quantities to harvesting groups, branch and division based on cane production estimates; (i) provide to industry stakeholders estimates of cane production by area and division by 15th 20 November of each year and, thereafter, to provide updates every two months during each crop; (j) organise and carry out cane aerial surveys to aid in the establishment of production estimates; and (k) establish a Cane Harvesting Committee in each Zone as established under section 25(k) which shall have the responsibility of organizing and coordinating the harvest and delivery of cane with sugar cane reaping groups within its Zone, as may be established by the SCPC. (2) The cane harvesting committee will also liaise with manufacturers, the SCPC’ and sugar cane reaping groups in satisfying the daily sugar cane quota required by the (3) Upon the commencement of this Act, the SCPC shall establish a system to govern cane deliveries for the next 24 months based on the following– (a) registered cane farmers will have the right to deliver their basic reference quantities as contained in the 2001 registered cane farmers’ list; (b) registered cane farmers shall be allowed to deliver any additional cane above their basic reference quantity; and (c) the quantity of cane delivered by each registered cane farmer in the crop year 2002/2003 shall be the basis to establish a new reference quantity for each registered cane Sugar Industry Act 21 (4) The SCPC shall coordinate cane production and forecast milling capacity through a system of annual production coefficient as follows– (a) apply such production coefficient to the preceding crop deliveries to determine new reference quantities deliverable in the succeeding crop year; (b) publish the production estimates coefficients and reference quantities by 31st December in each year; and (c) advise the cane farmers to confirm the ability to deliver their allocations within one month of the publication of the coefficient, and in the event of the inability of one or more cane farmer to deliver their allocations, to arrange for a reallocation of the shortfall quantities. (5) The SCPC shall register new cane farmers provided it is satisfied that– (a) the applicant has the capacity to produce a minimum of 200 tons of cane per annum within two years from the time of application; and (b) there is a shortfall in cane production against milling capacity, such shortfall to be allocated 80% to existing registered farmers and 20% to new applicants; (6) A cane farmer shall remain in the cane farmers’ registration list so long as the cane delivered by him for any one crop does not fall below 75 tons. 22 (7) When carrying out its functions under this Act, the SCPC, with the approval of the Board, may employ such human or other resources as may be necessary. (8) For the purpose of survey and estimate of sugar cane, a person authorised by the SCPC may enter upon any land on which sugar cane is cultivated, and there survey, inspect and estimate such cultivation. (9) Before entering upon the land in pursuance of sub- section (8), the authorised person shall give the owner or occupier of the land at least twenty-four hours notice of any such visit. (10) Any person who wilfully obstructs an authorised person in the surveying or inspecting of any land, or in carrying out an estimation on any land on which sugar cane is cultivated commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding three thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or to both such fine and term of imprisonment.