B.S.C.F.A. is Back at One with Individual Cane Delivery to Miller

Alfredo Ortega

But why is B.S.I. prepared to accept individual deliveries from cañeros belonging to the B.S.C.F.A. when just eight years ago, a huge stink was made in the Supreme Court over the delivery of cane without signing an agreement?  It was a matter that involved Lucilo Teck, a sugar cane farmer, who initiated legal proceedings against the Sugar Industry Control Board to declare a start of the 2015 crop, via a writ of mandamus.  That attempt was unsuccessful and the B.S.C.F.A. says it finds itself back at one in this very issue.

Alfredo Ortega, Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association

“If you can recall, in 2015, Mr. Lucilo Teck took the board to court and the government at the time, under Dean Barrow, they rapidly went to the house and they changed the law in which they put Mr. Lucilo in a very bad position because then the court ruled against Mr. Lucilo because they changed the law immediately because at that time because they wanted us to deliver, or they didn’t want us to deliver without having an agreement signed at that time.  So now they come out and say that the farmers can come and deliver without having a signature, or they didn’t want us to deliver without having an agreement signed at that time.  So now they come out and say that yes, the farmers can come and deliver without having a signature, when we know that that hasn’t been the case.  But what they are bringing out now is that because the court has ruled in favor of the famous person that took the government to court in regards to the act that the rule, the court ruled that you don’t have to be under any association.”

Lucilo Teck

Lucilo Teck, Sugar Cane Farmer

“We are convinced, as cane farmers, that it is the first time in history, in the sugarcane industry, that we have met with a giant, a transnational which is ASR/BSI which before they bought the factory I was there with them, listened to them and they made good offers to our local cane farmers that they will develop and enlarge the factory, capacity and good things for the farmers.  They were even giving loans of millions of dollars to the farmers to replant new cane fields and everything was promised to us.  But when they became the owner, they totally changed.  They did not grant us those loans, they refused to grant us those loans and things changed.  Now the time has come and gone and negotiations began with them for a fair commercial agreement that brings good benefits to our cane farmers and they rejected it.  When they rejected it, they made a counterproposal, but those counterproposals were also against us, our benefits.  So we also rejected it.  So we’ve been in that position for more than seven years and there is now solution in my view.”