What Does the Agriculture Minister Have to Say on Sugar Cane Quotas?

There has also had to be some tweaking where deliveries to the factory are concerned. A most recent survey estimates that farmers have one point seven million tons of cane in the fields to deliver. BSI, best case scenario, can mill about one point three million. That means if all goes exceptionally well, about four hundred thousand tons of cane will be left standing. There’s not much stakeholders can do about it, except to try to ensure that small farmers are given first preference.

Gaspar Vega, Minister of Agriculture

Gaspar Vega

“They’re still doing a little work not on the distribution of quotas, but on the distribution of deliveries. And what the associations and the entire industry are doing is trying to protect the small farmers. Those who only have one hundred tons or less will be allowed to deliver all of their quota. Those that have more than one hundred tons will only be allowed to deliver eighty percent so as to ensure that the small farmers get an opportunity to deliver theirs. And after that is fulfilled, then they get to deliver the difference of their quota.”

Reporter

“Where do we stand with the one point seven million tons estimated to be out there in production? Is there less? Is there more?”

Gaspar Vega

“That’s the estimate that the SCPC came up with, but that’s neither here nor there. The mill can only..is only expected to mill one point three million, and that is where everybody is taking a little haircut to ensure that everyone gets the same opportunity percentage-wise.”