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On the topic of cattle, last week, up to three truckloads of Belizean cattle were turned away at the Mexican border due to a change in cattle importation regulations. Reportedly, the cattle was stalled by an entire day after being sent back to Belize before being returned the following day. Reporter Britney Gordon has the […]
Written on February 15, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Environment |
Comments Off on Belizean Cattle Turned away at Mexican Border
The Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, says he believes Agriculture Minister Jose Abelardo Mai is being dishonest with Belizeans. Last week, when reporters questioned Minister Mai about the sugar shortage on the local market, he indicated that the shortage was a result of increased demand in December. Barrow says he rejects that explanation. […]
Written on January 23, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on Opposition Leader Weighs in on Local Sugar Shortage
The recent shortage of sugar that the country faced prior to the Christmas holidays should not be a recurrent problem, not if an arrangement between the Ministry of Agriculture, A.S.R./B.S.I. and Santander is properly set in place. Recently, Santander issued a release in which it stated that Belize should never be in a position of […]
Written on January 19, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on Ministry of Agriculture Takes Steps to Prevent Sugar Shortage
Will the government adjust the prices of sugar that are sold locally? That is the question that cane farmers, pastry makers and restaurateurs are probably asking. The prices of Belize’s sugar sold locally, both white and brown, have been blamed for the high contraband activity of the product, resulting in sugar being smuggled into neighbouring […]
Written on January 19, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on Minister Mai: We Need to Adjust the Price of Sugar Locally
The year 2023 was not a good one for the citrus and banana industries in terms of revenues. Even citrus bi-products did not do well on the market. There was a marginal increase last year in those returns, but according to the Minister of Agriculture, the uptick in those numbers have not yet reached significant […]
Written on January 19, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on What Does The Future Hold for Citrus and Banana?
In March of 2023, the Cabinet decided, based on the demands primarily of cane farmers of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, to hold a commission of inquiry into the sugar industry. The inquiry will analyse and identify areas along the entire chain of the sugar industry in an attempt to modernize the Sugar Industry […]
Written on January 19, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on Composition of Sugar Industry Inquiry Commission Underway
Santander wants in on the domestic sugar market, following the recent scarcity of plantation white sugar due to rampant contrabanding of this commodity into neighboring Mexico and Guatemala. In a press release issued by the company earlier today, it acknowledged that, “the decreased availability of sugar in our local market is a problem that Santander […]
Written on January 18, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on Santander Sugar Says It’s Ready to Enter Local Market
According to Burke, Santander writes to the Government of Belize annually, requesting permission to enter the domestic market. The PR Manager went on to say that Belize, as the largest sugar producer in the Caribbean, should never run out of sugar for local consumption. On the Phone: Beverly Burke, PR Manager, Santander Sugar “On […]
Written on January 18, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on Santander, “Belize should never run out of sugar for local market.”
As we’ve reported, the scarcity of particularly white sugar just prior to the Christmas holidays forced the government to issue a permit to A.S.R/B.S.I. to import sugar into the country to meet the demands. The problem arose out of the illegal contraband trade of sugar to neighbouring countries. When we met with him today, News […]
Written on January 18, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on Santander’s Permit Doesn’t Allow Local Sugar Sale
Earlier this month, Santander began harvesting sugar at the start of the 2024 crop. Unlike in the north, things went rather smoothly. The company shares its expectations for a productive season and is once again asking government to consider it as one of two major producers that can supply the local market with white and […]
Written on January 18, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on Santander Sugar Crop Kicked Off Quite Smoothly
The tourism industry is perhaps as diverse as it is vulnerable. There is the potential for a marriage between tourism and entirely different industries and that is exactly what Belize is now contemplating. Today, the Minister of Agriculture, Jose Abelardo Mai, explained to reporters the possibility of Belize exploring agro-tourism. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister […]
Written on January 18, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on A New Type of Tourism for Belize?
And while the government and the Ministry of Agriculture contemplate diversifying, one other area they are thinking to venture into is the production of African palm oil, particularly in southern Belize, which has seen farmers enter into coconut bi-products and grains. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture “I believe that one other options is […]
Written on January 18, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on African Palm Oil: Another Potential Agro Industry for Belize
The commercial agreement has been signed between the two parties that were at odds in the sugar belt and the rest is history, or is it? The determining factors at that eleventh hour agreement continued to be terminal charges and throughput fees. But even though the documents have been signed for the two-year agreement, an […]
Written on January 12, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Disasters |
Comments Off on The Determining Factor in the Eleventh-Hour Sugar Solution
Prime Minister John Briceño came under scrutiny recently for the perceived manner in which he handled the sugar dispute between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and A.S.R./B.S.I. The head of government was soundly criticized by the leadership of B.S.C.F.A. for dropping the ball during the negotiations between both parties regarding a new commercial agreement […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on PM Briceño Discusses Positive Outcome in Sugar Crisis
According to Prime Minister Briceño, the fact that both the B.S.C.F.A. and A.S.R./B.S.I. are private entities, he was limited in his intervention during the discussions. He told reporters this morning that he was forced to wait until the appropriate time to take control of the situation. Prime Minister John Briceño “Well, you just can’t […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured,
People & Places |
Comments Off on PM Briceño, “You just can’t intervene before it is time.”
It took a ministerial sub-committee and in the end, the intervention of Prime Minister John Briceño to eventually lead the parties in the sugar dispute to an agreement. A.S.R/B.S.I. and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association had reached a stalemate in finding common ground and signing a commercial agreement, slowing down the maximum production capacity […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Featured |
Comments Off on Musa Says Sugar Negotiations Were Tough
The sugar impasse is over. Late on Monday night, an agreement between Belize Sugar Industries Limited and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association was finally signed. This puts an end to several days of demonstration by members of the association and growing frustrations among cane farmers. The protracted impasse involved blockades along the road and […]
Written on January 9, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on Sugar Impasse Over: B.S.C.F.A. and B.S.I. Sign Agreement
He went public last week to suggest that perhaps the government should nationalize the sugar factory at Tower Hill, after it seemed like there was no solution in sight for the deadlock involving the B.S.C F.A. Last Wednesday, P.U.P. Chairman, Henry Charles Usher, who is also a cabinet minister, was quoted on Vibes Radio and […]
Written on January 9, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
People & Places |
Comments Off on PUP Chairman: Sugar Solution Should Be in Best Interest of Belize
During the sugar impasse between B.S.I. and B.S.C.F.A., the factory allowed members of the association to deliver cane under an open agreement. Some members of the B.S.C.F.A. took on the offer and delivered cane to the factory for milling. So we asked the B.S.C.F.A.’s Vice Chairman, Alfredo Ortega if those farmers will be penalized for […]
Written on January 9, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on Will BSCFA Reprimand Farmers Who Delivered Cane during Impasse?
There are new developments to report on tonight regarding an agreement that is yet to be signed between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and BSI. On Thursday, we reported that after a lengthy stalemate, both parties had finally arrived at a mutually agreeable decision in respect of a new commercial agreement. A day later, […]
Written on January 8, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Featured |
Comments Off on New Developments on Sugar Agreement
In other sugar news, a decision was handed down by the High Court on Friday, in a matter where a claim was brought by the Corozal Sugar Cane Producers Association against former vice president Everaldo Uk and nine other members who had been expelled from the CSPCA. Justice Genevieve Chabot, in her determination, has found […]
Written on January 8, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Featured |
Comments Off on High Court Rules in Matter Involving Expelled CSPCA Members
Tonight, the B.S.C.F.A. and B.S.I. have yet to officially sign an agreement, despite members of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association accepting the terms of the latest proposal on Thursday. The B.S.C.F.A. informed its members late this evening that the official document sent by A.S.R./B.S.I. reportedly contained language that was not initially agreed upon. A.S.R. […]
Written on January 5, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Featured,
People & Places |
Comments Off on B.S.C.F.A. Victorious in Sugar Impasse
Before an agreement was reached, attorneys for B.S.I. sent a letter to Elvis Reyes, Chairman of the B.S.C.F.A., threatening the association with a lawsuit over B.S.I.’s economic losses. In the letter, Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith of Marine Parade Chambers LLP says that “the illegal blockade of the Philip Goldson Highway has prevented cane farmers and […]
Written on January 5, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on B.S.C.F.A. Says B.S.I. Using Intimidation Tactics
And another winner in the sugar impasse is the Belize Police Department. During the intense negotiations and heightened emotions that resulted in the burning of tires on the highway, there were no incidents. The police were able to keep the peace even when cane farmers temporarily prevented Agriculture Minister, Jose Mai, from leaving the SIRDI […]
Written on January 5, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on Sugar Impasse was Peaceful
The United Democratic Party remains critical of the Briceño administration amid the outcome of the deadlock between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and B.S.I. While a three-month timeline has been fixed for a number of steps to be taken, including the completion of all studies and inquiries, the U.D.P. is not convinced that this […]
Written on January 5, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Featured |
Comments Off on U.D.P. Not Impressed with Briceño’s Band-aid Sugar Solution
