United Cane Farmers Association gets its day in court
They want to be legally recognized as United Cane Farmers, but the only formal grouping, Belize Cane Farmers Association, doesn’t want any other group rocking the sugar industry and getting a slice of the pie. The challenge has been before the courts for over a year and today when it finally came up, both groups ended up in the courtroom of Justice Oswell Legall. Carlos Magana, the C.E.O. for B.C.F.A., found himself alone in court today as his attorney, Michael Peyrefitte failed to show up. Justice Legall will deliver his judgment on the issue before the end of the month but in the meantime, a settlement is possible.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The caneros who formed United Cane Farmers believe they were better off with their own organization, rather than under the management of Carlos Magana and Belize Cane Farmers Association. Hubert Elrington, the attorney for United, says that their case is strong.
Hubert Elrington, Attorney for United Cane Farmers
“The one that we did this morning was the substantive claim which says that the act, which the sugar cane farmers, the industry is operating under and has been operating under for many years, we are saying that the act is unconstitutional and it ought to be struck down. The attorney General’s ministry applied for a short adjournment which I did not oppose, we will be looking at the possibility of arriving at a course of action that will address the concerns of my clients, the United Cane Farmers Association, so that the industry can be reorganized and be managed in a better way. Basically, the judge agreed that he will give us until the twenty-second to see what we can come up with. And if on that day we are not able to come up with anything then he will try the matter. Two days have been set aside the twenty-second and the twenty-third and we’ll get a judgment.”
In April, B.C.F.A. chaired a meeting of caneros in San Roman, in which they organized a vote that gave it control of millions of Fair Trade dollars. United supporters said that less than five percent of farmers voted, and several of those who voted did so illegally for villages that they did not come from. A portion of the footage obtained by News Five shows a woman wearing black raising her hands and voting on two separate occasions.
Hubert Elrington
“Tomorrow we go into court again to apply that an injunction be placed upon the Belize Cane Farmers Association management, not to implement the agreement that they got approval to at the meeting in San Roman.”
United Cane Farmers’ Willie Magana says that now is the time for change.
Jose Sanchez
“Do you think before the end of this year we are going to see a brand new cane farmers association, United?”
Wilfredo “Willie” Magana, United Cane Farmers Association
“Yes, I smile to say that because that is the goal. I believe that is the right timing for the industry. That association needs for a long time a competitor, which is going to be us and the cane farmer will have a decision to make whether they want to make business with that association or our association. But we need to keep in mind though, that whatever effort we do, we want to do it in the best interest of the country.”
The sugar will still be sweet after both issues are settled. It is just a matter of which stakeholders will savour it. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
