Second-biggest group forecasts 117,000 M-tons of sugar

San Pedro, DominicanRepublic.-The sugar group CAEI managed by Putney Capital Management forecasts aproduction of 117,000 metric tons of sugar in the current 2015-2016 harvest.

CAEI, a unit of the Viciniemporium said it milled around 1.15 million tons of sugarcane, of which 1,030,000tons from its own plantations and 120,000 tons from cane independent growers. “Thecompany reiterates that it will maintain its support program for cane suppliers.”

“As s policy andpractice prior to the start of the harvest, CAEI met with cane suppliers toexplain our milling plans, as well as labor, environmental and human rightspolicies which reign in the consortium and which the suppliers must abide by,” thecompany said in a statement.

During a meeting at theCristóbal Colón sugar mill near San Pedro, CAEI gave its cane suppliers a manualwith guidelines to be taken into account to maintain their businessrelationship. “The manual includes guidelines on how to comply with laborstandards and human rights at work, according to the International LaborOrganization and CAEI´s Declaration of Human Rights Policy.”

CAEI is Dominican Republicsecond biggest sugar producer after Central Romana Corporation.