Cane farmers vote more than once at B.C.F.A. meeting…

Earlier this year the sugar industry was brought to its knees over the issue of a core sampler. That situation reached boiling point on February second, when farmer, Antanacio Gutierrez was killed during a protest at Tower Hill. The industry is once again in trouble and caneros are angry over a decision on how millions of dollars will be spent. This was decided at a meeting this past Sunday at Escuela Mexico in the village of San Roman, Corozal District. On Monday, a News Five television crew spoke to several farmers who attended that meeting. And today Jose Sanchez returned to Orange Walk, where he found that the farmers will go to battle but instead of the streets, they plan to take their case to the courts.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The outcome of the Belize Cane Farmers Association meeting last Sunday, left many cane farmers irate as they felt that millions of Fair Trade dollars earmarked to help them would be diverted for purposes other than what it is intended for. And at a follow-up meeting of caneros from the northern districts held today, “Hard Time biscuit” was the snack of the day, symbolizing the current state of the sugar industry. Seated at the head table was Victor Canul, cane farmer as well as chairman of St. Francis Xavier Credit union. Canul has been corresponding with Fair Trade.

Vicente Canul, Cane Farmer
“Premium funds, the sixty-five percent which is three point nine million is not for factory upgrade. It’s not for the yard upgrade of the factory. In fact it’s not for the mill. They shouldn’t touch that for the first three years but in the first year B.S.I. may submit a proposal, but it will have to go to a general meeting of the cane farmers in order for B.S.I.’s proposal to be approved.”

Jose Sanchez
“That has to be the fourth year?”

Vicente Canul
“Yes, it has to be the fourth year.”

Jose Sanchez
“What year are we in right now?”

Vicente Canul
“We are just in the first year. The meeting started late, health instructions were overruled, parliamentary procedures were not adhered to and voting for the QIP document itself was done in total chaos.”

Carlos Magana attempted to maintain order during the counting of the votes while many were outside eating. The official figures produced by the Belize Cane Farmers Association were much higher than the votes, which were counted independently by the United Cane Farmers Association and a group of concerned cane farmers.

Jose Sanchez
“You have San Victor; according to your own counting, you saw one hand and yet the official count was thirteen. We see discrepancies in San Roman; you counted three and the official result is fourteen. Is there someone who couldn’t count?”

Wilfredo “Willie” Magana, United Cane Farmers
“We compared our counting with other people who counted and they matched up with our counting.”

On Monday, Willie alleged that people were raising and voting illegally for several villages. A spot analysis of the recorded footage of Sunday’s meeting at Escuela Mexico shows a woman dressed in black voting in the Corozal roll call, and a few minutes later, that same woman in black raises her hand and her vote is counted for a village. Willie says that the United Cane Farmers Association and the concerned group are determined to file an injunction against the Belize Cane Farmers Association to block the Quality Improvement Programme or QIP.

Wilfredo “Willie” Magana
“Well, we had a meeting and we decided to get an injunction to stop it. Not that we don’t want it, yes we want it but we want it more specific.”

Jose Sanchez
“When you say “we,” who is filing the injunction?”

Wilfredo “Willie” Magana
“Well, United Cane Farmers, a group of cane farmers united. We are doing it.”

Jose Sanchez
“The injunction itself, who would be the respondent? Is it B.S.I.? Is it the association? Who is it that you are filing against?”

Wilfredo “Willie” Magana
“Well, we are filing against the injustice of the association. What they did on that Sunday is unconstitutional. It is unfair and it is unjust.”

Vicente Canul
“Well, the way things progressed Sunday, I would approve so that we are given more time to again revisit the QIP because cane farmers are not fighting with anyone. We are not fighting with B.S.I. or we are not fighting with Tate and Lyle, with Belize Sugar Industry Control Board. What we want is fair hearing and fair decision; mutual respect and that we are treated with dignity.”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.