BSI Launches Packaged Sugar for Local Market

Belize’s sugar industry is entering a new phase of local market engagement as Belize Sugar Industries (BSI), in partnership with ASR Group, officially launches prepackaged white and brown sugar for domestic consumers.  While the packaging itself is not new, this marks the first time the company has received the regulatory green light to distribute the bagged product within Belize, an initiative executives say will improve accessibility, strengthen supply, and create additional value across the industry.  The announcement came on Wednesday during a guided media tour of the mill, where Shawn Chavarria, Financial Director for BSI-ASR, described the move as a significant milestone for the company and the wider sugar sector.

Shawn Chavarria, BSI, Chief Financial Officer: “How we’ve traditionally sold sugar here in Belize is we sell it in industrial size packaging, usually 50 or 100 pound bags. From there it is then distributed to supermarkets and retailers who would then package it normally in just clear plastic bags. They would use a Sharpie pen put the pound and the price on that. But we feel that we should really be selling a much higher quality product that meets high quality food standards but the law had to be amended to allow us the opportunity to do that and so that law change occurred earlier this month and because of that we’re now able to sell this product which is packaged brown sugar and retail packaged white sugar for the domestic market. We have actually been producing packaged sugar for a couple years now. We had made the investment some years ago. I believe it was two years ago that we had invited the media to come and see it and we have been trying to get this same product into the domestic market. So the packaging is not a new thing for us. We’ve been doing it. We just haven’t been able to sell it into the Belizean market. So it’s a proud day for us. Yesterday we commenced our first sales and we will be continuing that going forward with the new crop we will be able to start ramping up the production of the retail package sugar so that the Belizeans have a choice if they want to continue buying the tie bags as we call them which are not labeled and packaged or you have this premium product which is already pre-packaged here at the factory and meets world standards when it comes to food safety and quality.”

Chavarria explained that with sugar being a staple in nearly every Belizean household, ensuring stable pricing remains a top priority. He noted that mechanisms are being put in place to help prevent sharp fluctuations and maintain affordability for consumers.

Shawn Chavarria, BSI, Chief Financial Officer: “There remains a control price for what we would call non-packaged sugar. So the control price the maximum that it can sell for is I believe .86 cents per pound in the Orange Walk and Belize districts for brown sugar and .96 cents in the Orange Walk and Belize districts for plantation white. I believe what the government has done is it has allowed an additional cost for transportation to districts that are in the west and the south of the country. I mean that makes sense given that there’s a higher transportation cost associated with that so I think the maximum control prices in those districts will be slightly higher. In terms of the retail packet sugar that is no longer under price control. From our end we are more or less selling the sugar at about .15 cents more per pound at the mill but what the landed price ends up being on the supermarket will depend on what the distributor and the retailers charge for that but from our standpoint the range that we are looking at is around .15 cents more than we’re selling it at the mill.”

Beyond the retail benefits, Chavarria emphasized that the initiative is expected to deliver meaningful returns for sugarcane farmers, who form the backbone of the industry. By expanding product offerings and capturing more value locally, the company anticipates stronger economic outcomes for those directly involved in production.

Shawn Chavarria, BSI, Chief Financial Officer: “For sure the farmers will benefit because through the commercial agreement any increase in price that we receive or can obtain for our sugar they share enough benefit. So the farmers will share both from the increase for non-package sugar and also from the increased price that we will be selling for retail packaged sugar. So the farmers will be able to see a benefit through the cane price.”

Industry representatives say the introduction of prepackaged sugar locally reflects a broader strategy to modernize operations while reinforcing the link between national production and domestic consumption.