For more than 20 days, the Majibacoa sugar mill, the youngest in the province of Las Tunas, has been energetically self-sufficient; even, it already exceeds delivery in relation to consumption, according to Víctor Torres González, its director.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- This is the result of the intense work of the staff, which strives to efficiently mill cane; although the reality is far from its purposes since the sugar production plan to date is at 65 percent, with a substantial delay due to the lack of raw material.
"For that reason, the factory is milling at 50 percent. In the case of industrially lost time, it behaves at three percent, of a plan of 14. Today we meet 100 percent of industrial performance, and as planned so far, the Potential Sugarcane Yield (RPC, in Spanish) is met at 90 percent.
"In the quality of the final product, the only parameter that sometimes deviates from the norm is the color; the measures are taken because we know what this indicator represents for the international market."
Torres González explained that by the end of February a recovery of yields is expected and that they are working on reducing costs, one of the main indicators in relation to the expenses they incur, which is decisive in the Ordering Task for the payment of profits at the end of the quarter.
AVOID INTERRUPTIONS, A FUNDAMENTAL MISSION
Keeping the percentage of lost time to a minimum is a difficult task, but not impossible for those who are in charge of setting up the machinery of the “Majibacoa.” Of course, material resources, knowledge and a lot of will are needed.
Jorge Oro González, head of the Maintenance Shift in brigade 1, knows that the sugar mill has presented only a few interruptions due to the strategy they designed and continue implementing.
"When we go to work, the entire group is dedicated to reviewing each of the equipment. The problems they have come out there and it is not just to warn, but to resolve them at the moment. The most difficult is reported in the daily working meeting and they are assessed with the heads of each area.
"Last year we had problems with the receiving mats, bushings and pins. Now, those parts of our factory are inserted in the same system of work, of detailed and timely revision.
"Priority is given to mats, blade sets and bagasse conductors which are the centerline that allows stable milling and the centerline to perform well."
HERE WE CONTINUE WORKING TO COMPLY WITH THE SUGAR PRODUCTION PLAN
In the workers of the sugar mill, nobody is discouraged by setbacks; on the contrary, everyone is sure that they will be able to fulfill the plan of some 58 thousand tons of sugar so that the spirit of moving forward and doing things much better reigns among the workers.
"We know the importance of this activity," Torres González points out, "and of improving the supply of sugarcane, we do not rule out that between April 28 and 30 we can honor our production commitments.
"Now it is up to us to continue with the task and, for this, we have organized good care for the workers. For example, lunch costs 5.00 pesos and snacks at the factory and Gastronomy Company kiosks have affordable prices.
"In addition, we maintain the emulation checks and the stimulation of the most prominent every 15 days, and the transport is guaranteed on the routes of the Central Highway, the highway to Bayamo and from the provincial capital."
ON WORKERS YOU CAN COUNT
Yoexis Pérez Vázquez, a technician from the joggers and mills area added that the factory is quite stable and the personnel is in good spirits to produce, in addition to other motivations.
"We hope to fulfill the plan. Our tasks are to mill the cane that is put to us, to extract the sugar with good performance parameters, and to avoid breakage.
"Foreign matters continue to arrive from the fields, which causes operational interruptions. But, we take extreme measures to lose little time and solve the problems quickly. The people of agriculture support us so that the cane arrives cleaner and results are already being seen.
"Here we are going to dedicate our work to the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba and to April 4, the birthday of the Young Communist League."
PREVENTING THE COVID-19!
Important security measures are applied at the sugar mill to prevent the new coronavirus from reaching the facility. At the main door, there are footwear baths and bottles with disinfectant substances, as part of the health protocol to avoid any contagion among workers.
Everyone uses the means of protection, especially the facemask, because closing the mill in times of harvest would hurt as much as a catastrophe and, in an integral way, the staff knows what the sugar sector can contribute to the economic recovery of the country in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.