The Official Launch of the Smart Sugarcane Cluster Project
After three years on the drawing board, A.S.R./B.S.I. launched a Smart Sugarcane Cluster Project. The online platform will keep stakeholders informed about developments in the industry so that farmers can access the necessary support and keep updated on production. It will be available to creditors and financial institutions, cane farmers associations, research institutes and the public. The goal is to assist the five thousand cane farmers to improve their yield and the viability of the sugar industry through the use of a platform that can be accessed by stakeholders. Even as it is in a pilot stage, today, the Smart Sugarcane Cluster Project was officially launched.
Mac McLachlan
Mac McLachlan, Vice President, International Relations, ASR Group
“We’ve always produced quality food grade sugar, white and brown sugar. The real challenge was how to stay competitive in the low-price sugar environment. Belize sugar, in the north of the country…this meant two things: massive investment in the mill; we have invested around thirty million U.S. dollars in the last three to four years, increasing the amount of direct consumption, high quality food grade sugar we can produce. And I proud to say we have done so in partnership with IDB Invest in that project. The second key point is the need to help farmers to improve the productivity and quality of cane on less land in order to improve revenues and sustainability.”
Ramiro Lopez Ghio
Dr. Ramiro Lopez Ghio, Country Rep, I.D.B.
“This project for the north, the direction where we should guide the development of the private sector via transformation, innovation, financial inclusion and the development of management capacities. It is providing an opportunity for the stakeholders to adopt technology and processes across the entire value chain and will address many of the challenges faced by the group such as access to credit, which will enable the industry to improve its productivity. The Block Change based platform development will bring transparency to activities along the sugarcane chain, from the farmer to the mill, and will build trust among members by establishing information which is crucial for the financial sector. Financial institution will have access to information to develop a better understanding of the industry with real time access to the process on the ground, thereby improving the risk assessment to provide more appropriate and affordable support to farmers.”
