Illegal Sugar Export Leading to Sugar Shortage in Belize?  

Last night, we told you about allegations that law enforcement officers at the northern border are being dissuaded by government ministers from stopping individuals crossing sugar into Mexico. The assertion is that ministers are calling the law enforcement officers telling them to allow these individuals because they have permits from BAHA. Hugo Patt, the Area Representative for Corozal North, raised these concerns on adjournment during today’s House meeting, while addressing the nation’s sugar shortage.

 

Hugo Patt, Area Representative, Corozal North

“Belize is a country that in the region is more than self-sufficient in sugar. As a matter of fact, combine both mills, Belize produce some one hundred and sixty to one hundred and eighty thousand tons of cane. The local consumption is thirteen thousand to seventeen thousand tons of sugar. This is about eight to twelve percent of the annual production. If you want to round it off, some eighty-five percent of what we produce is destined to the export market. While Belize has a surplus of sugar both for plantation where and brown sugar, there is a crisis out there. It cannot be that we live in a country, and I will speak for the constituent and district I come form in the north, where all around you see sugar cane, but when you want to buy sugar for the consumption of families for small business, for single mothers who produce candies, for small bakers who produce bread with and for all those small business who use sugar you cant get any. What makes matter worst, we have some very reliable reports about our law enforcement officers who are doing an excellent job at our borders that on countless occasions have encountered sugar being unofficially exported just to get a call from ministerial intervention indicating to them look you have to release this sugar because this person has a permit to export and I am not making any accusation member for Orange Walk South but they are saying they have an export permit from BAHA.”