Sugar cane delivery to resume on sunday

The dispute over the core sampler used to test the quality of cane delivered to the BSI factory has been resolved. A compromise for a different mechanism that will ensure quality cane was met following several meetings of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, The Belize Sugar Industries and the Government of Belize. It is expected that cane farmers will now go back to delivering sugar cane.

Eric Eck; Chairman Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
“The strike is now officially being lifted. After we have gone through intense negotiations today we have reached to an agreement between BSI and the Cane Farmers. I must say that the Core sampler will no longer be used anymore. “

Cane Farmers halted the delivery of Sugar Cane to the BSI factory last Tuesday and following Monday’s unrest at the BSI Factory their request was for the elimination of the core sampler.

Carlos Magana; CEO Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
“The problem with the old method or the past method and I can use that term now past method is that it really affected the economy of the household income of all farmers. This one will be the method which farmers across the board will receive the same payment. They will have to work now united. Everything brings challenge; this will also be a challenge but it is going to be a more palatable one where the farmers themselves can work and talk and they will be able to determine when to deliver their sugar cane.”

Magana says he is confident that the membership of the BSCFA will accept this new mechanism that will ensure the delivery of fresh, mature, clean cane to the BSI factory. He tells us how this new system of quality control will work.

Carlos Magana; CEO Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
“The farmer will be able to know if his cane is mature to be able to deliver. People will go and test in the field to see that they are there and its going to be one that we will introduce a system that when the leader of a harvest group is ready then he will receive permission for that specific cane farmer could deliver. So then they know that they need to burn at a certain time so that it reaches to the factory. It is something that we will have to work highly in coordinating the extension services of the individuals and with the extension at the factory. We will be working definitely with the group leaders. They know the mechanism; they know that as a branch they have a certain amount of tons of sugar that they will deliver on a daily basis so now they are going to work with the control method of delivering their sugar cane.”

As for the financial effect of strike BSI’s Finance Director Belizario Carballo says it is significant.

Billizario Carballo; Financial Manager at BSI
“The financial effects have been significant. We don’t know yet until the end of the crop really because we have been saying that we have been in a way that we have been forgoing production of about 600 tons of sugar a day and we are now ten days in the strike and so that is 6 thousand tons of sugar that we would have been producing. Now that is not completely lost until the end of the crop extend the crop to take the additional cane that are there. So now it is just an opportunity cost; let us hope that the weather permits for us to be able to extend the crop economically and take in whatever cane is there. That will reduce the overall impact that would render some cost in the interim financial consequences but I feel for the time being we need to stay focus on resuming the crop and for that lost to be minimized.”

All parties agree that quality assurance is imperative for the survival of the industry as it continues to face challenges on international market. In October of this year, the European Union’s 36 percent price cut of takes full effect. On the government’s side, acting Prime Minister Gaspar Vega says they remain committed to the survival of the industry.

Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega
“The bodies coming together were for the sole purpose of saving our industry in the north and that is the Belize Sugar Industry; An industry that is not only so important to the north but the entire country. The government has shown its commitment and will continue in support for this industry. But likewise I must say that the two parties who own this marriage and that is BSI and the Cane Farmers came to the table knowing, realizing and accepting the fact that there can be no divorce in this marriage. It is either the two of them or none.”

As it relates to the request for the governments removal of Nemencio Acosta as the chairman of the sugar industry control board Magana says for now he leaves that for the authorities to deal with as they focus on resuming the sugar cane crop. The B-S-I factory will begin receiving sugar cane at 10am on Sunday. Both the Orange Walk and Corozal divisions are being asked to deliver cane for the first two days and control delivery begins on Tuesday.