Without the core sampler, how will sugar quality be tested?
One of the main inefficiencies that the Belize Sugar Cane Famers Association, the Sugar Industries Control Board and BSI agree needs to be improved is the quality of cane. You may well remember the violent protest that resulted in the death of one canero, Atanacio Gutierrez, during which farmers agitated for the removal of the core sampler from BSI. The sampler tested the quality of the cane and most farmers detested the use of the equipment. But since quality is an issue that is paramount, does this mean the core sampler will make a comeback? The chairman of the control board and the association’s chemist explained the way forward sans the sampler.
Hugo Pott, Chairman, Sugar Industries Control Board
hugo pott
“Quality will be determined in the program as it is stipulated, it will allow for the delivery of cane by groups, which we are estimating the regularities of this will be determined, but it will allow for groups of up to two hundred and two hundred and fifty tons to be delivered at one time. Based on the delivery, there will be a juice test which will indicate the quality of the cane.”
alfonso briceno
Alfonso Briceño, Chemist, B.S.C.F.A.
“The system will not use the core. We are going to be using big mill test where all the cane passes through—first express juice, not contaminated with water or any other extraneous matters. That’s the way we are going to test the cane for at least an hour. Based on those who wanted to be paid separately on a relative cane payment system. The formulae that we use is the same as those at the core with the exception of mud. We are not taking mud into consideration, only bricks, pole and purity. Bricks are soluble solids in the cane, the pole is the sucrose in the cane and the purity is the percentage of freshness in the cane.”
So for now the next crop will start on time and the hopes for the survival of the eight thousand farmers depends on it.
………………….the sampler one dead man and still asking this? what is going on if the factory works in a good condition you dont need that the question that should be made is: WILL THE FACTORY RECEIVE AT LEAST 6,OOO TONS OF CANE EACH DAY? the answer to this is what decides cane good quality… we had never used a sampler before and the price was good but since the factory was disattended the problem started.
ask representative FRED or has he forgotten when he used go to the factory with his antique ford truck with his toes full of mud and slippers i dont think office has made him forget that.
dis da lone fool. When we had di core sampler the media was making a big story that it “seemed” to be a bad thing. When di thing gaan they make a big story that it “seems” it is necessary. You cant please people bwoy do good and deh twist it. do bad and dey mek it worse. its a lose lose
The system cannot not use the core sampler because the major components were stolen months ago! Nobody was caught or charged either, which is no surprise, as it had to be an ‘Inside Job’, taken during a weekend and more than likely sold in Mexico.. Maybe to sample drugs before shipping to the US?
The G.O.B. should have insisted in a complete change of the Managers in BSI and the Cane Farmers Association that got them all into this mess in the first place.
BSI has to make a profit, as do all other businesses, if not, well, the reality might kick hard, but it needs to close. taxpayers should not be expected to support a constantly failing industry. the failure is from the management, and from the farmers. The farmers want to get paid top rates for basically crap cane, and BSI let them for a year, resulting in the total mess that they are in.
I see the standard of the cane on the trucks, and it’s nowhere near as good as it was 5 or 10 years ago, you don’t need a core sampler to see it, so BSI should have their employees on the gate use their Mark 1 eyeballs and common sense and turn away the trucks carrying poor quality cane – or pay the farmers less for the lower quality raw material..
Poor quality cane = higher costs to process = either putting the price of sugar up to compensate & lose customers, or go bust.
A 5 year old could have told BSI that…..
WE STILL WANT TO KNOW WHO IS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE……………….. FOR THE DEATH OF THE CANE FARMER DURING THE CORE SAMPLER PROTESTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How much is the cost of the core sampler including freight charges if we will have it deliver in the Philippines?