PM Comments on Sugar Situation

John Briceño

When we caught up with Prime Minister Briceño today at an event out west, we sought a comment on the situation of the sugar industry. As a second generation canero himself, PM Briceño commented on the livelihood the industry has afforded his family and many families in the north. 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Our farmers believe that they could come up with a better method of payment and B.S.I. has been resisting. So, now they are getting to an impasse. I believe if we are getting to an impasse and their contract is coming to an end next month, we have to as a government be able to step in as an honest broker, sit with two parties and come with a negotiation that would be fair to everybody. Both sides wont like everything. But, at least we could have a working relationship between farmers, B.S.I. and Government. We feel that is a responsibility to keep that going and to ensure our farmers, our Belizean citizens continue to be owners of the industry and not just cane cutters. As to what happened in the tourism industry, look at what happened. Tourism has been growing in leaps and bounds. But what has happened to us Belizeans? We have become the cooks. We wash dishes. We clean the swimming pools. We go fix the beds. We are not the real owners. The argument could be made that yes, you need a lot of money to invest in the tourism industry. We could argue that. But with sugar we own the land, we own the cane, and we have to ensure that Belizeans have ownership of the sugar industry.”