Breakthrough in Sugar Strike

There has been a major breakthrough in the stand-off between the cane farmers and Belize Sugar Industries Limited. The news tonight is that the core sampler will be removed – and more importantly – the strike is over. That’s right - after ten days on strike – cane farmers have agreed to resume delivering sugar cane to the Tower Hill Sugar Factory on Sunday. The resolution was reached after two days of intense negotiations which were mediated by acting Prime Minister Gaspar Vega and Minister of Agriculture Rene Montero. They brokered the truce shortly after 2 pm – which is when Vega made the announcement.

Hon. Gaspar Vega, Acting Prime Minister
The core sampler will be replaced by a new mechanism, a mechanism that will bring the same results -better quality sugar cane. I want to make mention that the strike is being lifted off. That the leader of the Cane Farmers Association has made a request to BSI that they would like resume delivery of cane to the factory by Sunday. The possibility of it happening is very positive but the management of BSI has to go through an information and consultation process and then they will confirm whether that will be possible.”

Eric Eck, Chairman – Cane Farmers Assoc.
“As how the PM just mentioned a while ago, the strike has now officially been lifted. After we have gone through intense negotiations, today we have reached to an agreement between BSI and cane farmers. I must say that core sampler will no longer be used anymore. We have already spoken with BSI and there is a probability that we will start delivering cane on Sunday. We are still waiting on BSI to confirm if that will be so on Sunday. Once again I must give thanks to the PM, Hon. Rene Montero, and the cane farmers who have been patiently waiting for this moment. I must say cane farmers, core sampler will no longer be used.”

Joey Montalvo, CEO – Belize Sugar Industries Ltd.
“I have consulted with operations management and we’ve agreed, and I’ve just confirmed to Mr. Eck, that we will be ready to receive cane as of ten o’clock on Sunday and the rest of the organization as far as deliveries will be left to the Cane Farmers Association. But as far as Belize Sugar is concerned, we will be ready and we are already mobilizing to commence operations and to receive cane at 10 o’clock on Sunday.”

Belizario Carballo, Director of Finance – BSI
“Core sampling, as Mr. Eck mentioned will no longer be used but we must remember that the core sampling was only a means or a mechanism of getting where we want to go. Given the challenges that the industry faces, we know we need to produce more and better quality sugar which begins with more and better quality cane. That is the objective. How we achieve that is what we’ve been discussing over these past few days. Core sampling was defined under the law as the method of doing that. That is now being redefined and we have commitments on the parts of the Association and on the part of BSI to work jointly together on collaborating a plan, a more detailed plan that will help us to achieve that objective.”