But did the BSCFA miss an ideal opportunity to sit at the negotiating table? As we told you, a meeting was set for Tuesday, Garifuna Settlement Day. At the meeting were representatives of B.S.I. and corporate executives from the ASR Group. Today, B.S.I. issued a release chiding BSCFA for its absence. According to the release, […]
Executives from the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association were purposely absent from a meeting on Garifuna Settlement Day. With the clock ticking, this afternoon, C.E.O. Joey Montalvo of B.S.I. and ASR Vice President, Ricardo Lima met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Gaspar Vega. The purpose of the meeting was to urge the […]
As we said, the BSCFA has threatened that it will not make deliveries at Monday’s start of the next crop season if its request to receive a percentage of the profits realized from the use of bagasse in energy cogeneration is not met. That warning, says Vega, should be taken seriously in light of what […]
The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and the Belize Sugar Industries, under the American Sugar Refining Limited, have been enjoying a fruitful relationship since ASR successfully purchased seventy-eight point six percent of the B.S.I. Group. Sugar production at the Tower Hill Factory has increased considerably and following a successful year for caneros in the north, […]
While the rains are wreaking havoc in rural communities, they are also having dire effect on the industry which is the lifeblood of the north. For the past two years the sugar cane industry has recorded banner crops in terms of production, quality and milling. It is in the interests of all the players in […]
A suspected case of bovine rabies, commonly known as rabies in cow, has been reported by the Belize Agricultural Health Authority in the New Road Area of Toledo District. The Ministry of Health and BAHA have been engaged in the investigation and treatment of eight persons as part of a hands-on approach pending confirmation of […]
For the first time, the presence of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly has been detected in Belize. The Belize Agricultural Health Authority is reporting multiple sightings of the fly in south and has activated a twenty-four hour check point in the village of Silk Grass, Stann Creek. BAHA wants to stop the fly from spreading to […]
A cattle sweep is taking place in rural Belize to detect two diseases that affect livestock and can be harmful to humans if consumed. The process is in three phases prior to the exportation of the livestock to Mexico and Guatemala. So far, sweeps have taken place in northern Belize. And today, Duane Moody had […]
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) has been a debatable topic during the past two years. Some farmers want to use the laboratory synthesized versions of plants because of the higher yield they can give and the potential for improved revenue streams. However, there are also those who worry about the health concerns since there is a […]
The sugar industry remains one of the single most important industries. At least one hundred thousand tons of sugar is produced annually both for export and for the local market. Last October American Sugar Refinery acquired majority shares of the Belize Sugar Industries, and by and large, the industry is improving with better quality and […]
The planning Committee of the annual National Agriculture and Trade Show is planning to breathe new life into the annual event. According to the organizers, a number of changes will take place to make the show more interesting and productive to both the private and public sectors. So mark your calendars for the first weekend […]
While life at the court continues to be dreary, farmers who live near Sugar City are forecasting a bright start to 2013. Sugar production at the Belize Sugar Industry’s Tower Hill Factory has increased considerably when compared to last year’s crop. The current yield, according to factory manager John Gillett, is exceptional, resulting in a […]
The Citrus Growers Association has ended its two days of protest against Citrus Products of Belize Limited and its business partner Banks Holdings of Barbados. The breaking news is that the CGA has met with the government to chart a way forward to buy out Banks shares in C.P.B.L. The government sat down with CGA […]
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 […]
Over three hundred citrus growers made their discontent clear this morning as they have refused to take their oranges to the plant and instead picketed the Citrus Products of Belize Limited, a company in which they have majority shares, but little to no control of the company. The growers were joined by members of the […]
Another issue involving Citrus Products of Belize Limited (C.P.B.L.), Banks Holdings of Barbados and the Citrus Growers Association is over the Caribbean Pride Trademark. According to CGA Director, Denzil Jenkins, they recently received evidence that Caribbean Pride had been registered in Jamaica without their knowledge and Banks Holdings C.E.O., Richard Cozier, was confronted about it. […]
Trouble is brewing in the Citrus Industry. For several years there has been tension within the industry between its stakeholders. The Citrus Growers Association sent a press release saying, “Growers are advised that the citrus factory illegally opened on Wednesday…while the factory did not have a license to process fruit.” Millions of dollars are at […]
It was a big week for the Belize Camping Experience. Aside from the recognition for having second best booth at the expo, its Harvest for Kids Project turned out to be a huge success. With the help of generous farmers, the organization harvested a total of forty acres of corn; twenty in Banana Bank on […]
The sale of the Belize Sugar Industries (B.S.I.) to American Sugar Refining (A.S.R.) is about to materialize. In an update to that story, B.S.I. reports that meetings were held in mid-July with representatives of A.S.R. Management to advance final negotiations on key investment documents, principally the Subscription Deed (purchase agreement) and the Shareholders’ Agreement. Agreement […]
The sale of majority shares in the Belize Sugar Industries to American Sugar Refineries is expected to be completed by the start of the next crop. But on the ground, cane farmers are experiencing a major setback. Recent flooding brought about by Depression Seven in August has caused considerable damage to cane fields which are […]
The rains in the north have seized and the waters are now receding. But in the aftermath of both Hurricane Ernesto last Tuesday and the freak rains that hit Corozal on Wednesday night, there is a lot of damage to the agricultural industry; specifically to the sugar cane crop. Minister of State in the Ministry […]
The exportation of cattle to Mexico through formal trade arrangements has been touted for some time, in fact as far back as 2010; the Prime Minister said it was a done deal. It has taken two years, but it appears that the initiative will come to fruition in about two months. But for the local […]
In the west, an agro-processing facility is providing alternative income for a group of women. The project started on a small scale, but today the production of jams and juices from locally grown fruits has grown considerably, attracting support from the Food and Agriculture Organization. News Five’s Andrea Polanco reports on the Western Women Agro-Processing […]
Ten days ago, The Belize Agricultural Health Authority placed a national poultry alert following a major outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza called H-7-N-3 in Jalisco, Mexico. The outbreak, which was detected on three Mexican farms, has now spread to over fifty farms. It has killed thousands of birds in that country. BAHA says […]
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority has placed a national poultry alert following a major outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza across the border. Since the outbreak in mid June, an estimated one million birds are believed to be susceptible across three farms in Mexico. The numbers so far show that two hundred thousand have died […]
