Lack of lime delays start of 2012 sugar crop

Bridgetown.

A shortage of hydrated lime which is use to purify cane juice before it is converted  to sugar, has delayed the start of the 2012 sugar crop .

Sugar officials told Trakker News, over 300 tonnes of hydrated lime is required to start the crop and only a small amount is on the island which is not enough to sustain the factories if they can start grinding.

The unavailability of the lime was only recently discovered, officials are trying to source the commodity from several countries including the United States and the United Kingdom.

This year's sugar harvest was scheduled to start yesterday it is expected to last for 14 weeks.