Blairmont Estate is situated on the West Bank of the Berbice River, 66 miles East of Georgetown and two miles South of Rosignol, Region 5. This estate is home to the world-renowned Demerara Gold Sugar.
History of Blairmont Estate
Blairmont Estate has a long and interesting history that can be traced to the 1800s. In the early 1900s the estate was divided into three Shares, namely: Balthyork, Zorg-en-hoop, and Bush Lot, belonged to Messrs Blair, Henry and Kantz respectively. The Balthyork portion housed the factory that ground the canes coming from Zorg-en-hoop, and Bush Lot.
In 1880, Mr. Harry Davson, born in New Amsterdam, bought over the share belonging to Mr. Blair (Balthyork) and renamed it Blairmont. In 1934, Davson acquired the remaining two shares (Zorg-en-hoop, and Bush Lot), allowing the estate to operate under a new name. In 1955, Blairmont Estate was sold to Booker Brothers’ Limited until 1976 when the Government nationalised the business and formed the Guyana Sugar Corporation.
Sugar Cane Lands
At the Blairmont Estate, 5808.1 hectares of fertile lands (leased and owned) are under sugarcane cultivation. This cultivation is divided into two sections: Blairmont (3257.2 ha) and Bath (25509 ha). At the Bath cultivation, drainage is achieved by pumping water from the fields into the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary – Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) main drainage façade. The water is then drained through the sluice at D’Edward village and into the Berbice River. Irrigation water comes from the MMA/ADA conservancy.
The soils at the Blairmont cultivation range from sands to clays to pegasse. Scientific classifications include the De Velde Plegt Anker, Corentyne, Skeldon, Canje, Everton, Brandwagt, Vryberg, Bath and Manarabisi Series
Cane Varieties
Growing the right variety of canes positively impacts the Estate’s productivity. At Blairmont Estate the varieties commonly cultivated are DB 7869 (standard variety), D9017, D931 and D9633 which were all developed by GuySuCo.
Several varieties are grown to ensure the sustainability of crops even during outbreaks of diseases. Each variety has its own characteristics to withstand diseases and drought, with some varieties capable of maturing earlier than others.
Harvesting Process
The harvesting processes employed at the Blairmont Estate include semi-mechanized, manual and to a lesser extent fully mechanical harvesting, with 26% of the field layout suitable for fully mechanical harvesting.
Currently, 55.3% of the total cultivation is the Dutch Bed layout, Broad Bed layout (26.4) %, Ridge and Farrow (13.4 %) and English (4.9%).
In the Dutch field’s configuration, the canes are stacked on a single cane windrow along with the crown of the bed. The punts are then lined up in cross canals alongside the beds where the Bell Loader can access for easy loading. The canes are then towed to the factory for unloading and preparation for processing into sugar.
Transporting Harvested Canes
Due to the intricate, well-developed waterways surrounding both cultivations, specially designed punts are used to transport harvested canes from the field to the factory. These punts are made locally at GuySuCo’s Central Work Shop at Albion/ Port Mourant Estate, Corentyne. Each punt transports an average of 6.5 MT of sugar cane per day using a tractor or a water tug for navigation.
Oxen are also used to haul punts from the cross canal to the middle walk where they are further connected to the tractors or tugs for the final journey to the factory. Blairmont Estate has a herd of 16 Oxen.
Factory Capacity and Efficiency
The Blairmont Factory was reconstructed in 1916 after which the factory underwent several installation works to maintain efficiency and increase production capacity. Today, GuySuCo is certified as being compliant with the ISO 9001:2015 standard which is implemented at the Blairmont Factory.
The factory has a capacity of 102 tonnes cane per hour with a production rate of 2,448 MT sugar per day which translates to an average of 27,000MT annually. Over the years, factory performance has been commendable and the Estate has efficiently contributed to the annual production target of the Corporation considering the constraints.
Blairmont Packaging Plant
The Blairmont Packaging Plant began operations in 2004. This packaging plant is an extension of the Balirmont Factory. To date, the plant operates three machine lines of Production, namely the GV 2, GV 3 and GV 4 machines. The GV2 machine packages sugar in 500 grams and 1 and 2kg sizes respectively.
Containers from various shipping companies are transported to Blairmont Estate to fulfill overseas purchases. These containers are assembled in the loading bays in accordance with the shipping schedule. One container of bagged sugar is usually 25 metric tonnes (500 bags of 50 Kg each) and one container of packaged sugar is usually 24 metric tonnes (1200 bales of 20 Kg each). Sugar bagged and packaged at the Blairmont Estate is exported directly to CARICOM markets.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Blairmont Estate is the largest single employer in Region 5. This Estate employs workers from as far as Ithaca to Belladrum in Region # 5, East Canje to Kortberaad in Region 6 and Golden Grove to Buxton in Region 4. Apart from providing direct employment for residents, the communities along the West Berbice corridor also benefit from drainage, provision of fresh water for agricultural purposes, educational, recreational and sporting programmes. Blairmont Estate is also a major contributor to the Mahaica/ Mahaicony/ Abary (MMA) Agricultural Development Authority and takes care of water usage and land rental which assists the sister organization with the management of its affairs.
Senior Management Team
Mr. Threbhowan Shiwprasad
Estate Manager
Sarwan Mohabir
Agriculture Manager
Mr. Rattan Persaud
Factory Manager
Mr. Kiwanis Park
Human Resources Manager
Mr. Bisham Chetram
Finance Manager