BSCFA Not Convinced the Ministerial Sub-Committee Will Be Much Help

The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) Management Committee Chairman, Alfredo Ortega, also weighed in on Cabinet’s decision to set up a ministerial sub-committee to meet with the farmers and the miller. The sub-committee will be chaired by Minister Kareem Musa, and he is tasked with having guided discussions with the BSCFA and the Belize Sugar Industries Limited/American Sugar Refinery Group (BSI/ASR) so an agreement can be finalized. But, Ortega says that given the last two attempts at mediation, he is not too confident that this time around will yield a different outcome. 

Alfredo Ortega, Management Committee Chair, BSCFA: “We have gone through mediation in late November/December and if this is the same way this Cabinet committee will act well then it will be very little that can be achieved to that. We can more achieve in having the commission do its work that is needed and from there then we can both sit down and look forward into the recommendation that will come out from the commission and from there I believe that then more things can be clear and added to the new agreement and to the act that will give us the opportunity on what we are looking for for the industry.”