BSI/ASR Urges Cane Farmers to Check Crop Before Delivering to the Mill

The Belize Sugar Industries Limited/American Sugar Refinery (BSI/ASR) is tonight reminding farmers to check the crop properly for any extraneous materials before delivering it to the mill. Earlier this year, they had to sound the alarm and bring this issue to the farmers’ attention as they had been receiving an unusually high amount of materials such as rocks, rubble, and in some instances even metal objects as big as bicycle wheels. BSI/ASR’s Famer Relations Manager, Olivia Carballo-Avilez, explains that this leads to the destruction of milling equipment which requires them to cease production until it is repaired. And, that lost time translates to a loss of money.

Olivia Avilez, Cane Farmers Relations Manager, BSI/ASR: “Definitely we hope that the farmers are able to work with us and cooperate so that we are able to have a consistent flow. It doesn’t help anyone that if we start receiving stones or bicycles or rims right because then that slows down, well it stops the grind so here at BSI we are going to continue keeping an eye out for these foreign objects. It is usual sometimes that we get foreign objects and we have a magnet to identify some of these but things like stones and other bigger items we are able to see them and the carrier in some cases and so we are going to remain vigilant and definitely ask farmers to cooperate, ensure that they are not bringing in foreign objects accidental or otherwise because it definitely prohibits or inhibits us from grinding.”