MoA Urges Farmers to Sign Agreement

On Sunday cane-farmers will meet in Corozal to decide the fate of the 2014-2015 sugar-cane crop. Well actually, it’ll be the 2015 crop since 2014 is pretty much done. We’ve heard from the B.S.C.F.A….both factions…and regardless of what happens on Sunday, not everyone in that Association is going to be pleased. But where Government is concerned, there can only be one desirable outcome – the decision to sign onto the agreement and get the crop started. Today News Five spoke to Ministry of Agriculture C.E.O. Jose Alpuche who reiterated Government’s position.

Jose Alpuche, C.E.O., Ministry of Agriculture

“We do have an agreement. The negotiating parties have actually agreed on text of an agreement so that is a major accomplishment. What has happened is that the B.S.C.F.A. directors have decided to take it to a special general meeting which is being held on Sunday. We are hopeful that that meeting will approve the agreement and that it could be signed and hopefully crop could start. The agreement really is an improvement on the past agreement that they had. So we see no reason why it should not be signed.”

Mike Rudon

Jose Alpuche

“Is the Ministry of Agriculture satisfied that this is a good agreement for the farmers?”

Jose Alpuche

“Certainly, for the farmers and for the industry as a whole. What we really need right now is stability; we need confidence to remain in the industry. The last thing we want is for protracted discussions and contention in the industry. That would be bad. We need invest…there is need for a lot of investment in the sector to get it ready for long-term challenges and what we really need is stability.”