Sugar loses predicted to be $10 million

The wind, rain and rising waters have impacted more than just the residents of northern Belize. Sugar, the economic mainstay of the region, not to mention the entire nation, has also taken a hit. An official team representing all facets of the sugar industry did a flyover of cane lands this morning and their report should be ready next week. For the present, BSI had reported significant flooding of the fields around San Victor, Douglas, San Roman, San Antonio and San Estevan. Some cane is totally underwater, while additional acreage is partially inundated. Belize Sugar Industries has the potential to process 1.2 million tons of cane and before Keith was looking forward to deliveries of 1.1 million. In the wake of Keith’s devastation BSI is now estimating a crop of only 950,000 tons. This should translate into a little over 90,000 tons of sugar. The lost production, which will come out of world market sales, means that export revenues may be reduced by as much as ten million Belize dollars.