This year’s sugar cane quality might be affected by Hurricane Lisa and froghoppers

The quality of cane produced during this year’s sugar cane season will be poor in certain areas, according to the BSCFA. The association says that several farmers were impacted by Hurricane Lisa, while others are being affected by froghoppers. Alfredo Ortega, the Chairman of BSCFA’s Committee of Management, says that the low quality may result in some farmers receiving less in payments despite the recent uptick in cane prices. Here is how Ortega explained the situation.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, OW Branch, BSCFA: “They have already sent out the first keen price estimate for this year. Last year when the crop was about to start we had a very good weather at the time. We were not hit by any hurricane, we were not hit by frog hoppers we had a little bit of flooding but it was in the vicinity that the cane was good to start the crop. They gave us at the time an estimate using a TCTS of 10 at that time and at that time the first cane price estimate was $50.62. Now they boast that this year we are getting $3.13 more than last year which they claim is the highest paid for the starting of crop for the past 20 years but what they have done for this year they are using a 9.39 TCTS to reach to that price. So when you transform that, when you transform the TCTS in dollars and cents there is no increase of what they are doing but only on the change of the TCTS and really I would want the farmers to really understand this point because as you know everything that is being said we are presently in a situation where we want to negotiate with them and we want to finalize this negotiation So what they are doing is they are using numbers, they are using certain game so that the farmers come out and say oh they are giving us a good payment but if we are unable to achieve – right now we have problems with frog hopper, we have some farmers get hit with by the hurricane so the cane quality for this year will have a very serious problem in certain areas not everyone but there are certain areas that will be having problems.”