Too Early to Determine Effect of Delayed Sugar Crop

Belizario Carballo

While B.S.I. remains optimistic that a response from B.S.C.F.A. is forthcoming, up to news time tonight the agreement had not been endorsed.  The effect of the delay of the sugar crop, says Carballo, will only be known towards the end of the season in May 2015.

Belizario Carballo, Financial Controller, B.S.I.

“The response is let’s wait until we sign.  The parties will, at that point, plan when it is the best time to start because it doesn’t just from our end, it takes from the farmers’ end to be prepared.  Unfortunately, right now we have entered a period where we have normally interruptions, stop for the Christmas, stop for New Year’s and so we are entering into a week of stops and so that has to be taken into account in planning the start of crop.  But we would expect that it would be as soon as possible.”

Reporter

“How is the weather affecting the sucrose content, the value of what’s out there in the field?”

Belizario Carballo

“That’s a good question because I have been asked what is the impact of the delay on cane.  Whilst we have lost, we have said ideally the eight of December would have been the start date and that was on the basis that there is one point three-five million tons of cane out there and that we would have then been able to grind that amount by the end of May.  Now, any delay from that puts us into June and we are then at risk with the weather and so the cost or the lost in the industry because of the delay effectively will only be known until then if we are not able to actually extend the crop to take up all the cane.”

We’ll have an update on the sugar situation in the north in Tuesday’s newscast.