Patt Comments on Challenges of Holding Cane Farmer AGM during COVID

Hugo Patt

Hugo Patt also commented on the current state of affairs in the Corozal Sugar Cane Growers Association. Here is what he had to say about the challenges faced in trying to hold a general assembly during the pandemic, and why he thinks this dispute will be best resolved before the court of law.

Hugo Patt, Area Representative, Corozal North

“If you are to ask us whether we were allowed to make a general assembly meeting at the time, it was very difficult. I will relate what happened to us in the Northern Sugar Cane Growers Association. We actually had to hold elections in every village in order for us to be able to have an election. Yet, there were still farmers who were not satisfied and they wrote to Fair Trade to say what we did were against the by-laws. We had to prove to them that it is not we wanted to the elections that way but we had to abide by what the ministry of Health is asking for. In the case of the C.S.C.P.A., I understand that they had written to the Ministry of Health to get that sort of permission to be able to conduct elections and that correspondence didn’t come forthwith, it came very close to the time when there would have been a start of crop. There is no association, because of its own operations, would want to have an election during crop, it would alter everything they are doing.”