Citrus Industry’s Sheriff Polack passes away

A giant in the agriculture industry has passed. Jamaican-Belizean Pat Polack passed away on Monday of this week in the Cayman Islands after a short illness.  Polack, known by most as ‘Sheriff’ a name he got years ago because of his love for boots and a Stetson hat, was one of the biggest citrus growers in the country. In addition to citrus, his companies now produce coconut water and oil, pineapples and ackees for both the export and local markets. Polack came to Belize in the 70s when Jamaica was going through turbulent times. He bought large tracts of land, mostly in the south, and became a popular and major player in the agricultural sector. He, along with William Bowman, are regarded as the two growers who rescued the Citrus Company of Belize from bankruptcy in the 1980s. He will be buried in Cayman this Saturday. He is survived by his wife Clarisse, and six children including well-known businessmen Richard and Johnny Polack.