Banana Growers support CGA and call for removal of Ministry C.E.O.
Unrest within the citrus belt continued for a second day as disgruntled farmers and their employees once again gathered in Pomona, along with the executive, as well as other members of the Citrus Growers Association, to protest a number of concerns going into this year’s crop season. The most pertinent of those concerns include an email correspondence between government advisor, Alan Slusher, and C.E.O. in the Ministry of Agriculture, Jose Alpuche, discussing the possible breaking up of CGA and the sharing of its assets. That communication has raised the ire of dozens of citrus farmers, who are demanding Alpuche’s removal from his post as C.E.O. In a release issued today, the CGA is requesting that the Barrow Administration explains its position on the email, elucidating government’s policy as it concerns various agro-industry associations, including the Citrus Growers Association, the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, the Banana Growers Association, as well as the Rice Growers Association. Similarly, CGA is calling on government to unequivocally support the association and its members in transitioning the company from a citrus juice industry to a tropical fruit juice industry by aiding in the buyout of Banks Holdings’ minority shares in Citrus Products of Belize Limited. The Banana Growers Association has also issued a release in support of the CGA, criticizing the works of Alan Slusher and Jose Alpuche as a direct threat to all agriculture associations.
Not surprising; a lot of banana growers are also citrus growers. What is interesting is that there are no unions in both industries. Workers are fired as soon as they try to organize into a union.
You got your stats wrong Blackberry. Yes there are no unions – but not because growers fire workers if they want to join – or else it would have made news and unions would be in hands together making noise. Banana workers are paid according to the law!!!!
You can go in and pick a hand few that are not satisfied BUT no where in the world would anyone be able to have 100% of workers satisfied.
But also you need to realize that CGA’s issues has nothing to do with workers!!
You should have asked for the root of problems to be axed, the grand thug Dean Barrow must go.
We should also ask the public officers and the ministry of agriculture if they also feel the same way. From what we hear stafff and all workers at the ministry of the agriculture feel the same way for this new CEO, arrogant, not performing, slashing all assistance to small producers, they all thought he was business oriented, but now he is for his family and friends, very vindictive and insulting to many people. I think will all said, calling on all staff to provide us with their sentiments. We the people of Belize, will support them.