Interim CA Signed, but New Agreement Needed After That

Andrew Westby

And while the focus at this point is on ensuring that the sugar cane in the field makes it to the factory in as efficient a manner as possible, the road to signing a new commercial agreement is still ahead.

Andrew Westby, Chairman, Committee of Management, A.S.R./B.S.I.

“We know when you sit down to deal with the agreement it already take five months and it seems we haven’t met common ground on the agreement, because we are bringing a new way of payment of cane and we know that will take time to debate. But, what we were interested is that farmers could deliver their cane because we don’t want cane to stay in the field. So while we are debating on that, or negotiating on the current agreement, we wanted an interim agreement so that the farmers could go ahead with the crop.”

Paul Lopez

“Will you hold up on all issues you’ve raised with the current commercial agreement, even if A.S.R./B.S.I. says they can’t negotiate on some points?”

Andrew Westby

“Well, I will leave that to when we are on the table. When that time comes about we will see what we will work out. But, certainly you guys will now and the nation will know what will transpire. But, we will leave that to when the agreement, when the time come, we will see what will work out for us, for the benefit of the industry and our farmers and also the mill, because we don’t want one to take an advantage over the other, but the agreement that will be suitable for both side, justifiable for both side, and for the industry to flow, because we are in the industry in Belize right now for it to be losing money. The cane is also very important for us the farmer, because it is our livelihood, and the way we maintain our family and children and we don’t want that to be hampered.”