Ministerial Subcommittee Comments on Sugar Woes in the North

Kareem Musa

The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association is holding firm to the position that it will not enter in to a four-year commercial agreement with A.S.R./B.S.I.  In a press conference held on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer Oscar Alonzo reiterated the stance that the B.S.C.F.A. has taken, offering instead to sign a one-year agreement with the miller.  Ahead of the start of this year’s sugar crop, the association has called on the intervention of the Government of Belize.  As such, a ministerial subcommittee has been established.  On that team is the Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries, Kareem Musa.

Kareem Musa, Member, Ministerial Subcommittee

“What we have been engaged in, as the leader in the inter-ministerial, the subcommittee of ministers, we have been engaged in negotiations; one, to restore Fairtrade for the farmers, the BSCFA farmers, in addition to finalizing the commercial agreement.  Along with that is the commission of inquiry which is not something that our board or our ministerial committee will decide.  That will come from the prime minister, in terms of the selection, the appointees to that particular commission and it is hoped that we can get that commission of inquiry going early next year.”

Reporter

“So then, in relation to the start of the sugar crop, BSCFA says that they want a one-year agreement, not four, as being suggested by the miller.  And they said that they would want the intervention of the subcommittee to see if they can find a middle ground.”

Kareem Musa

“Yes, and again, that goes to the whole point of our negotiation process.  We had another round of meetings yesterday with the BSCFA in Belmopan, after Cabinet and it is our intention again to meet with ASR tomorrow and so it is a continuing negotiation.  I know that the mill is saying that they would be ready for December eleventh, to start the crop, but again, it is a technical decision because you have to do an assessment of whether they are prepared, meaning the farmers, whether the crop is ready because you cannot start the crop and stop the crop.  And so, it is very important to do an assessment, it really comes down to a technical decision that the Ministry of Agriculture will have to make.”