Starting today, Belize Sugar Industries (BSI) is hitting the brakes on sugar production at the mill. This move comes as farmers and producers struggle with the muddy mess caused by heavy rains. The pause in production will continue until the weather improves, but there’s no clear end in sight. We spoke with BSI Communications Director William Neal to find out how this will affect the local sugar supply. Here’s what he had to say.
William Neal, Communications Director, B.S.I.
“Just based on what we’re looking at in terms of sugar production the domestic market is small. What we have concerns about is obviously, how we make, the sugars necessary for our contracts that we have. We, it’s still early in the crop. But what we have to do is make an assessment. We’ve talked about the cane price estimates, and we’ve looked at production shortfalls, but what we’re trying to do at this point is just decide what will be the best thing at this juncture to make sure that we’re not grinding just for grinding sake and that farmers are not trying to just pull out the cane to just say they delivered their cane if there’s no sugar in the cane, we’re wasting time, resources, money, and so are the farmers. So this is the best solution at this point we can’t project in the next six months, how much sugar we’ll have, what we’re hoping for is some improvement in the weather and we’ll continue to work on the mill side to try and extract as much sugar as we possibly can. More than sixty percent of the industry uses B79, which is a late maturing variety. So it might actually play to that in terms of the ripeness of cane and the optimum time to actually, have extraction. But if the weather continues to be like this, then it still won’t make much of a difference. If we have continuous rains, what we’re seeing as an industry is basically we cannot at this juncture continue to just hollow cane by any means necessary. It’s just not making any, since economically for anybody, because the amount of mud that comes, the quality of the cane is so poor that all around, it’s just a losing situation for everybody.”
The full impact of the sugar production halt on farmers and the local market is still unclear, but there are growing worries about how it might affect Belize’s energy supply. Sugar production creates bagasse, a byproduct that powers the BELCOGEN plants, providing energy across the country. We reached out to BSI’s Industrial Operations Manager, Stephen Usher, for his take on these concerns.
Stephen Usher
Stephen Usher, Industrial Operations Manager, B.S.I.
“ We need to maintain a certain grinding rate so that we can have surplus bagasse, which is our fuel. We have been eating that out. We decided to mutually have a stop until weather conditions improve. And as William mentioned, we don’t know exactly when that will be the start up so that when we start up, we get better. With the cane, we get cleaner cane, and once we start to mill, it should be at a higher grinding rate than the two hundred tons cane per hour. Normally, we would be closer to two hundred sixty, two hundred eighty tons cane per hour. And what that will do, that will enable us to start accumulating, accumulating surplus bagasse as well. So, to answer your question right now, we have do have sufficient baggage for another startup when we start milling again after this pause that we are experiencing right now.”
This morning, a group of retired public officers gathered in front of the Eleanor Hall Building in Belize City to protest. They are demanding payment for two years’ worth of increments that have been withheld since 1995. To make up for the frozen salaries, they were given shares in B.T.L. However, thirty years later, the retirees have yet to see any of the millions of dollars held in the trust. According to Lizbeth Castillo, Interim Vice President of the Association of Beneficiaries and Retired Public Officers, at least nine thousand public officers are owed money for this period. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with more details.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
“We are dying out here, run the trust money.” That’s what Lizbeth Castillo’s sign read as she protested in front of the Eleanor Hall Building in Belize City today. As the interim Vice President of the Association of Beneficiaries and Retired Public Officers, she’s part of a group that has been waiting for government payments for thirty years.
Lizbeth Castillo
Lizbeth Castillo, Interim VP, Association of Beneficiaries & Retired Public Officers
“During the period 1995 to 1997, we were not given our yearly increments. And the government at the time said, instead of for reasons to themselves and I guess for financial reasons as well, what they did was to they invested in shares in B.T.L. So we have some retail shares and all these years, those shares have been accumulating dividends. So it’s a lot of money now. And we were promised that years ago when they were able, we were all going to sit at the table. The calculations would have been done, and people were going to get what is justly theirs.”
The members explain that because of the salary freeze, the retirees’ pensions have been miscalculated. Castillo says the money, now over eight million dollars, is just sitting in a trust managed by the Public Service Workers Trust. Their worry is that while the funds are being misused, the association’s members are slowly passing away from old age.
Lizbeth Castillo
“One of the things that saddens most of us is that a lot of our fellow beneficiaries keep dying each and every day. Because for government, we retire at fifty-five. We’re all people in our late sixties and older. So the youngest person would be in their sixties, that would benefit from this trust. And he made that promise and we have had a couple meetings with them. We’ve had very cordial meetings. I would want to assure everybody, because we have to say what is correct. And, but we think that you’re not moving as fast as they ought to do.”
In late 2023, Prime Minister John Briceño expressed his support for dissolving the trust. However, he explained that some retirees had taken the issue to the High Court, stopping the government from acting. Earlier this year, Briceño mentioned that the case is still unresolved.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño (File: January 23rd, 2025)
“There is a group of public officers that have taken out a case. This is the last I can remember. That is in the supreme court. Before we could dissolve that trust they need to take that out of the Supreme Court. We run the risk of, if we do that the courts could come at us and say we can’t do that because it is a live matter in the court. I have said let us get that out of court. I had a meeting with them the other day. They agreed to remove the case and then we are going to wind down that trust. They should get their money. I support that. They should get their money because they are getting older, dying or more than ever they need the help, they are not working, sick and so they have my full support.”
The association stated that if the Prime Minister commits in writing to dissolving the trust, they might be convinced to drop the claim. However, without action from the government, they remain uncertain if the issue will be resolved.
Lizbeth Castillo
“We are not giving up, we are not losing hope. We think that all is going to prevail and one day soon we are going to get our money. But if we just sit down idly, nothing will happen. We want to get the support of the public, the media, the other public officers, because we are not the only ones that will be affected.”
Campaign season is in full swing, bringing a burst of color and excitement to cities and towns nationwide. Lampposts are decked out in party colors, and banners stretch across streets, showcasing the vibrant spirit of the elections. Tonight, we’ll dive into the world of campaigning and explore how constituencies are transformed with the colors of your favorite parties and the faces of their candidates. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with more.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The People’s United Party flag proudly waves above a sea of supporters at the Belize Civic Center. This huge blue and white banner, made from several yards of fabric, is a familiar sight at PUP rallies and conventions, and today is no exception. Smaller flags decorate lampposts throughout Belize City and beyond. The red, white, and blue emblem of the United Democratic Party isn’t as widespread, but you can spot it in key areas. It’s campaign season and the materials needed to sew these flags are in high demand.
Teresita Garbutt
Teresita Garbutt, Employee, Mikado Store
“The demand for the political material, it started a bit earlier this year, before the election date was out because we started advertising this material since it’s election time. But the demand has been more than usual for the fabrics because it’s selling a lot, so both parties are buying the red, white and blue or the blue and white.”
Banners are a great way to get a candidate or party noticed. They make it easier for people to recognize who’s running and what they stand for. With catchy slogans and key promises, banners highlight the campaign’s main values and goals. As the general election approaches, both parties are stepping up their game, using banners to build excitement and rally support, inspiring more people to get involved.
Iris Flores
Iris Flores, Employee, Mikado Store
“Right now the material dehn di sell like for the political themes and it gives other people, like the seamstress and tailors jobs. They make the flags and then the person that buys the material they get the material back to hang it or do whatever they want to do with the material.”
Nowadays, fabrics are sold in large bundles. Customers flock to Mikado, placing big orders for cloth. When it’s not campaign season, buying these materials in bulk and storing them can be expensive and a real hassle.
Teresita Garbutt
“It stores at the warehouse. It’s nicely kept so it doesn’t catch dust, it doesn’t… no animal eats it, you know, fabrics. We move them around from one corner to the next so it can be nicely kept and stocked for the next election or whenever it’s needed.”
Inside the store, there are eye-catching displays showing off creative ways to use the material. Loyal supporters from both parties can choose skirts instead of banners. Mikado hopes this trend will catch on fast. Besides that, customers are buying fabrics in all sorts of sizes.
Iris Flores
“Some of them buy by yard, but right now most of them buy by the roll. So they get it by the roll, and then, well, we offer other stuff too, like the umbrella. We have readymade flags and the tassels.”
Isani Cayetano
“Makes a lot of money selling political cloth?”
Teresita Garbutt “Well only this time of year, yes.”
Sixteen Belize Police Department officers are now at the forefront of modernising law enforcement and public service as they successfully completed training on the new Online Criminal Records Registry (CRR). The training was held on Friday, February 14, at the National Police Training Academy.
In a statement, it said that this new system will allow the public to apply, pay, and receive police records entirely online, enhancing convenience and transparency. It said, “This initiative focused on the effective use of the Online Criminal Records Registry (CRR) system, with sixteen participants successfully completing the training.”
Supported by both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Public Utilities, this initiative is expected to transform record-keeping and governance in Belize. The trained officers will be passing on their expertise to peers across the country.
Back in December, UDP’s Cayo North Standard Bearer, Omar Figueroa,alleged electoral fraud and called on the Election and Boundaries (EBC) to remove 124 names from the constituency’s voter list. On Monday, the EBC issued a statement reaffirming that there has been no electoral fraud and that all voter registration processes comply with the Representation of the People Act.
Orlando Espat, EBC Commissioner, said today that the situation is far from settled and that the People’s United Party is appealing the decision, which prevents the commission from removing the names.
“Well, just remember, it is an appeal. So, if you go to court and the magistrate or the high court tells you they find you guilty and sentence you, but you launch an appeal, there is nothing you can do until the Court of Appeal listens to it,” Espat said.
Espat explained that the matter is now in the hands of the High Court. “We cannot remove any elector and disenfranchise them from the voters list without the authority of the High Court. If they say keep them, we keep them,” he added.
Espat explained that until the appeal process is resolved, those 124 names will remain on the list.
On Tuesday, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) ruled that Moses “Shyne” Barrow and Tracy Panton will both appear on the ballot in the traditional United Democratic Party (UDP) red, but with different symbols.
Election Day on March 12 is drawing near, and this decision has raised major questions.
EBC’s Commissioner Orlando Espat weighed in on the growing colour dispute between the two factions of the UDP. Espat confirmed that both sides of the UDP have requested the colour red for the upcoming election ballot. Espat told reporters this morning that “in the case that the political parties cannot agree with a colour, then there’s a section in the representation of the People’s Act that empowers the commission to assign colours or symbols to the political parties.”
Espat added, “What is confirmed is that the two sides will get red on the ballot. What is not confirmed yet is the symbol that they will choose to put on the red.”
While the choice of colour remains settled, the question of symbols is still up in the air. Espat said that the party members will need to return next week with a symbol to distinguish between the two.
But will UDP supporters march to the polls and get confused at the moment of casting their vote? Espat acknowledged the potential for voter confusion, stating that “it is the duty of the political parties to educate people too. It’s not only the duty of the Elections and Boundaries Commission and the department.”
Espat also clarified that while it’s unlikely, a faction could technically request a different colour on nomination day. However, once nominations are in, the EBC will begin the major task of preparing the ballots, and it would be too late to make last-minute changes.
The Department of the Environment (DOE), in collaboration with the National Ozone Unit under the Ministry of Sustainable Development & Climate Change, is conducting Belize’s first training program focused on Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) systems. The three-day training is designed to equip refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) technicians with the skills needed to service, repair, and maintain MAC systems efficiently.
The training reinforces Belize’s commitment to the Montreal Protocol by equipping RAC professionals with the latest eco-friendly technologies, enhancing technical skills, and reducing the environmental impact of refrigerants.
Participants are receiving hands-on instruction in system diagnostics, troubleshooting, and maintenance of MAC systems, including those in hybrid and electric vehicles. The training also covers best practices for handling refrigerants, with a focus on transitioning to less harmful alternatives such as R-134a and R-1234yf.
Belize Sugar Industries (BSI) has temporarily halted sugar production for the 2024-2025 season due to ongoing challenges caused by heavy rainfall and poor road conditions. Since October, consistent rains have severely affected both the quality and quantity of sugarcane, which has made harvesting difficult.
BSI’s Communications Director, William Neal, told the media today, “We’ve been having rains since October, and that has made it extremely difficult in terms of the field conditions for farmers.” He added, “The amount of mud and the difficulty that farmers have to extract their cane makes it extremely difficult.” Williams stated that feeder roads to the fields have worsened, which has contributed to the strain in the delivery process.
He added that the situation at the factory is no better, as it struggles to handle the excess mud brought in with the cane. Neal said that “it’s not a good time to be harvesting” because the additional effort required to process poor-quality cane makes the operation unsustainable. “The cost in terms of what we’re spending to try and extract sugar from cane that has very poor quality at this juncture, simply because the rains have been so consistent, makes it just not viable for us to continue,” Williams said.
The Fisheries Department has announced that the 2024-2025 Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishing season will officially close on February 28, 2025, in accordance with Statutory Instrument No. 126 of 2024. The annual closed season runs from March 1 to June 30, aligning with regional regulations established by the Organization for Central American Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector (OSPESCA).
During this period, the possession of lobster is strictly prohibited, and violators will face prosecution under Belize’s Fisheries Resources Act. Fishers are also required to remove all lobster traps from fishing grounds before the closure, as enforcement measures will be in place to ensure compliance.
The Fisheries Department urges the public to report any illegal fishing activity by calling 224-4552 or emailing fisheries_department@fisheries.gov.bz.
