While the United Democratic Party is preparing a united response to Monday’s national budget presentation, Corozal North Area Representative Hugo Patt is already sounding the alarm on one key issue: agriculture. Speaking with the media today, Patt, who is also a cane farmer, said his biggest concern lies with the struggling sugar industry. He pointed to low yields, falling prices, and what he described as a “bleak outlook” at the end of this year’s crop season. Though the U.D.P. plans to present a collective position on the budget, Patt made it clear that for him, the future of Belize’s farmers, especially in the north, must be a top priority.
Hugo Patt, Area Representative, Corozal North
“The Leader of the Opposition will call – during the course of the two weeks, will be calling meetings to basically discuss the budget in its entirety. And so, areas of interest will be basically assigned to all five of us in the host. And so based on the decision that is taken there, and of course with the guidance and the leader for our part leader, we will present the points that we need to present during the days that we will have the budget issue.”
Marion Ali
“Does anything stand out at you at this particular point?”
Hugo Patt
“Well, my interest has always been agriculture, and so, if you ask me now, I mean the sugar industry is in a state of disrepair. So it is really concerning what is happening now, given that one, we do not have the kind of production that we had expected. Secondly, there is a huge shortage of labor. And thirdly, there is the issue of the price that we are seeing very low. I’m just concerned for many of my farmer colleagues who I feel at the end of the day – banks will just pull in on them or whenever the final payment is made, they will stay without any money.”