Grant Contract External Actions of the European Community 2010/ Improving Capacity and Speed of Sugar Cane Breeding in the Caribbean by Investing in State-of-the-Art Laboratory Equipment Principal Investigator: Dr Anthony Kennedy Geneticist West Indies Central Sugar Cane Breeding Station Groves, St George Barbados West Indies Tel: (246) Fax: (246)

Main objectives: Provision of high speed whole cane analyser to Variety Selection Programmes in Guyana, Jamaica and Belize Increase in efficiency of selection, particularly in the area of Multi-purpose Cane varieties Secondary objectve Upgrade of suplemental aspects of sugar labs (HPLC etc)

Expected output: New cane varieties with enhanced sugar and fibre To sustain changing needs of small sugar producers particularly with respect to biofuel and energy production. Data from all stages of selection will allow effective Selection pressures for all quality parameter; Brix, pol and fibre. Data from seedling populations will make Family Selection more effective for quality and fibre. Breeding values for parental populations will be more precise.

Actions to date

December 2010: Contract signed February 2011: Funds transferred from SAC to WICSCBS March – June 2011: Calls for tender to construct buildings Tenders assessed and contracts awarded Establish that single supplier of Spectracane June – July: Construction works started Request for waiver of Rules of Origin

October 2011: Spectracane training Workshop WICSCBS attendees 2 each from Guyana, Jamaica and Belize December 2011: Waiver of Rules of Origin approved Firm order placed for Spectracanes

January 2012: Buildings to house Spectracane completed Spectracane initial payments made to start the building of the machines February 2012: Dual wavelength polarimerter shipped to Belize Firm order for the 3 Dedini cane shredders

Completed Building SIRI JAMAICA

Completed Building BSIL Belize Exterior

Completed building BSIL Belize Interior 1

Completed Building BSIL Belize Interior 2