Mega Investment For Barbados

• Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd. has re-entered the sugar production industry with a major investment in a mill at its St Lucy location. At the same time, officials have announced the addition of a fifth ageing bond that will see the capacity going from roughly 50,000 barrels of rum to about 75,000.
• Managing Director, Raphaël Grisoni explained that while the focus of the sugar mill will be on the production of “high-value” molasses and less so on sugar, the investment, which forms part of a more than $40 million project over the past four years, was a signal of the company’s commitment to the rum industry and the island.
• The investment comes as Mount Gay joins forces with at least two other local rum producers in pursuing geographical expansion for Barbados rum. Grisoni noted that Mount Gay producing its own molasses was critical to that process while stressing that the investments will lead to added value.
• Minister of Tourism and International Transport Lisa Cummins, said with the island being marketed as the birthplace of rum this investment in the industry was a welcomed one.
• She also reiterated that Government was in the process of strengthening linkages between the “bread and butter” tourism industry and other sectors to ensure more locally-produced items are used in the tourism industry.

(Source: Barbados Today)