Inside the House today, Orange Walk Central Area Representative today handed out his share of licks to his colleagues on the government’s side of the House. He started by making fun of government’s ad on saving the industry, and of course took the opportunity to, in his words, remind them of just a few of […]
Briceño, after outlining what the P.U.P. has done for the industry, chastised the government for what he calls playing politics with an industry which affects the lives of fifty thousand persons in the north. John Briceño, Area Representative, Orange Walk Central “I dislike the idea that we are playing politics with an industry that […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow called a press conference just before noon stating that government is once again intervening to save the sugar industry. Actually, it wasn’t quite as simple as that. Apparently, even as ASR/B.S.I. announces signing agreements with splinter associations, it has also announced that it can’t sign on with the B.S.C.F.A. just yet. […]
Arising from ASR’s new stance, there is some speculation that the company is seeking to punish the organization for its insubordination, so to speak. And following from that, there is also some speculation that the company is seeking to deal the B.S.C.F.A. a death blow. At this point farmers are desperate to start the crop […]
Now here’s the thing. News Five has been reliably informed that if ASR/B.S.I. does open its gates to those Associations with which it has signed, farmers registered with the B.S.C.F.A. can also deliver, even without signing any agreement. Even if that is so, the Prime Minister says that is a scenario he has no wish […]
For some time now, attorney Audrey Matura-Shepherd and Prime Minister Dean Barrow have been trading insults. On Thursday, Matura-Shepherd got in her shots, stating that she found it embarrassing as a junior attorney to have to school the senior attorneys on a basic point of law. To one one’s great surprise, the PM fired back […]
And so ends our coverage of the critically complicated sugar industry tonight. On Monday there will be a sitting of the House of Representatives, where the government will push through amendments to the Sugar Industry Act. Today, PM Barrow confirmed that it will happen. He says that he does not expect the crop to start […]
A cop from Independence who has been charged for having sexual intercourse with a minor appeared before the Supreme Court today. Patrick O’Brien was charged this week and while it takes up to two weeks for a bail application to be heard, O’Brien was fortunate to be granted one today. He appeared before Justice Troadio […]
It was confirmed today that the Avian Influenza Type A has been detected in two poultry farms in the Spanish Lookout area, Cayo District. BAHA says the outbreak is limited and that measures have been put in place to prevent the poultry and poultry products from leaving the farms. BAHA is also mentoring other farms. […]
Even as the start of the sugar cane crop seems inevitable, the chaos within the industry continues unabated. Tonight, there is much to report—both from the farmers and the factory, which includes the signing of agreements with ASR/B.S.I. But we start with a midday press conference hosted by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. […]
When it comes to the government in this scenario, attorney Audrey Matura-Shepherd pulled no punches. She believes that Prime Minister Dean Barrow deliberately and with great calculation did not speak the truth at his press conference last week. Barrow stated that the B.S.C.F.A. was misguided in seeking an order of Mandamus, which he said would […]
As we told you earlier, there is news to report not only from the farmers, but also from ASR/B.S.I., and it is fairly monumental. Early this morning two associations outside the auspices of the B.S.C.F.A. signed on to deliver cane. The signing comes on the heels of a release from B.S.I. on Wednesday stating that […]
So where does this leave the B.S.C.F.A.? Well certainly not in a better position than they were in before negotiations. In fact, there are those who expect that the Association will not be able to recover. Of course, there are those who will blame the government and/or ASR/B.S.I., and do, for the crumbling of the […]
That’s bad news for the Association, and there’s more. There’s allegedly a report circulating that ASR/B.S.I. is expressing some hesitation in signing with the B.S.C.F.A. branches who have expressed that they do so under protest. From what we’ve been able to ascertain, the position of signing under duress raises the possibility of future legal implications. […]
There is a historic visit taking place today. That’s because at the invitation of the Bar Association, Justice Dennis Byron, the president of Belize’s highest court of appeal, the Caribbean Court of Justice, is currently in the country. Justice Byron arrived at the P.G.I.A. this afternoon on a brief, but packed visit to Belize. He was […]
Nationally recognized as the father of the nation, George Price was remembered today by the party he led for four decades. Price passed away in 2011, but today he would have turned ninety-six. Present and past leaders, party faithful as well students took part in activities to pay homage to the leader who transformed the […]
Four men were arraigned this morning in the Orange Walk Magistrate Court for drug possession and trafficking of forty pounds of heroin, worth ten million dollars. It follows a huge bust by the Anti-Drug Unit of the police department in front of a bar at the South End entrance of Corozal Town. There was no […]
A fisherman was heading home to Oleander Street in the City on Tuesday night when he was ambushed in his boat. Pedro Ayuso Junior, also known as Pete, was in the area of Belcan Bridge when someone travelling in another skiff opened fire on him. The salvo of bullets found their mark on the father […]
While no one has been charged for the murder of “Pete” Ayuso, a prison inmate was this afternoon arraigned for a murder that happened five years ago. Twenty-nine year old Lorenzo Smith Junior is serving a ten year prison term for arson and was soon to be released when his past caught up with him. […]
But in the south, there’s a complicated story in Independence village which we’ve been following for the past week – one which involves a Policeman, a minor, and to some extent, a jealous wife. Independence Police haven’t had much to say when we’ve contacted them, but we note that the Police sitrep for today does […]
The protracted standoff between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and ASR/B.S.I. has been in the news headlines for weeks, but is the crisis finally coming to a resolution? That’s what we asked B.S.C.F.A. chairman, Ezequiel Cansino, today when we sat with him exclusively. Despite factions of the association proclaiming that they are signing the […]
Still yet, the petition to gather as many signatures approving the endorsement of the agreement has been described as B.S.C.F.A. yielding to pressure being brought by government, as branch directors have gone on record to voice their discontent for not getting the best deal. But farmers are cash strapped and after Thursday’s press conference by […]
Regarding the use of Fairtrade funds being paid out to farmers, Cansino says that the suggestion to replace the spent monies with PetroCaribe dollars is a singular idea coming out of a splinter group of the B.S.C.F.A. While agreeing that the disbursal will lead to decertification, Cansino says that the ball is already in play […]
Late this evening, there was a shooting in the area of the BelCan Bridge in Belize City. We’ll have more of this in Wednesday’s newscast, but we can say that one person was injured and rushed to the K.H.M.H. after he was shot.
It is safe to say tonight, that the sugar industry has plunged into further chaos. According to stakeholders, there is still abundant uncertainty as to when the mill at Tower Hill will crank up to give way to the start of the crop. Five hundred thousand tons of cane is required by ASR/B.S.I. but that […]
