New executives elected for the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association

Alfredo Ortega

While up north, we also found out that a new committee executive was elected for the BSCFA for the year 2013-2014. Alfredo Ortega, who spoke on behalf of the association, says he is now taking on the post as vice-chair while Leonardo Cano from Corozal is the new chairman of the association. Ortega took the opportunity to talk to us about the mission and goal of the new committee.

Alfredo Ortega, Vice President, Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association

“We plan to continue with what we have started. We plan to see how we can better off on what we have done. We have done very good things, but there is much to be done. We want to continue our dialogue with our partners, with stakeholders in the industry. We want to remain as friendly as we can because you know that very little can be gained in fighting, in industrial action. We have a lot to lose—not only ourselves, but Belize as a country have a lot to lose if we should reach to that stage.  We are seeing the benefit in moving towards those steps in bringing quality cane to the mill; in delivering mature and fresh cane to the mill. For the past three crops since we adopted this harvesting system that we have, we have seen a price increase from forty-five dollars to seventy-two. And this year one of our best prices that we are looking upon seventy-four twenty; one of the best. So this only demonstrates that by working in quality, by the mill having less problems and having constant milling rate and also with the weather, we can see that we can achieve very good prices once we deliver quality cane to the mill.”

Other committee members include: Elidino Escaraga as secretary, Estevan Villanueva as treasurer and Arturo Livarez and Marciano Novelo as members of the committee of management.