B.S.C.F.A., “Sugar Industry Is Not for BSI”

And finally, from today’s press conference in Orange Walk Town, the B.S.C.F.A. is now demanding that an independent entity be established to market Belize’s sugar. They further demanded that legislation be included that speaks to compensation for sugarcane farmers for their produce and that amendments be made to clarify that the sugar industry is not for B.S.I.

 

Javier Keme, Chairman, B.S.C.F.A. Finance Committee

“We need an independent entity to market the sugar from Belize. Now, this call, and I will mention it categorically and choose my words carefully, the sugar industry Act needs to be amended in a way to clarify that this sugar industry is not for BSI. It is not for ASR. It has two owners, two stakeholders and that has to be put into law in the Sugar Industry Act. We are fifty percent owners of the industry because we have the production as producers. They are millers and that is wrong when you say that BSI is a private industry. That is wrong. They might be a private company, but we are two stakeholders in one industry and that needs to be reflected in the changes that the Sugar Industry Act needs. We need that the aspects of the payment of the cane to producers be put in law. You say it is going to be difficult, maybe the commission of inquiry will show enough evidence, enough information for you to do that. But if still your government is reluctant to act in that regard, there is an alternative for it. And it has also been ventilated in the past that there needs to be a mechanism to resolve disputes like the negotiations for a new commercial agreement.”