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Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"We had already indicated to their local agents that we want such a meeting. Mr. Montalvo said, because of the thanksgiving holiday, he was not able to get in touch with the central authorities. He would have an answer for me by close of day today, as to how soon that meeting can take place. We will take to ASR the position which we had in fact stated at the press conference in which we repeated to the farmers today and see if on that basis we can bring the 2 sides together for face to face negotiations."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there room to negotiate? Will we have a season starting on December 15th?"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I don't know. It depends on how far we get with ASR."

Jules Vasquez
"Have the farmers indicated that they are prepared as you urge them to relinquish (not hold the season hostage) for this bagasse demand?"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"They've said that their willingness to start, that there is a desire to start, but that whether they actually start will depend on what happens between ASR and the government at the meeting we are trying to arrange."

Alfredo Ortega, Vice President - Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
"Once more the Prime Minister reiterated his position as he did when he did his press conference that he fully supported the farmers in regards to the issue we have with the bagasse and he reiterated it along with his minister he have with him, so he is saying that we have the full support of the Government of Belize in our regard."

Jules Vasquez
"You've been in meetings with BSI over time, you think they will now bend knowing that both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are saying that the bagasse have value for which you all have to be compensated."

Alfredo Ortega, Vice President - Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
"That is our hope because now they will be feeling the weight of the government of Belize with the Prime Minister. We hope that the Prime Minister and the Government of Belize had a convincing argument with them."

Jules Vasquez
"Are you all prepared to start the season while still having this dispute in which the government supports you? Are you all prepared to say let's start the season and we continue to work towards receiving money for bagasse?"

Alfredo Ortega
"Not at this point. At this point what we are looking for is to have a commitment from ASR/BSI."

Mike Rudon, reporter
"Just to clarify the position, if ASR does not come with what amounts to some sort of olive branch agreement, that they will pay something, then the decision of the farmers to delay the crop stays the same?"

Alfredo Ortega
"That is the mandate that we have from the farmers and if anything would change, the farmers would have to approve any change on that. We cannot change that."

And while they differ on the bargaining tactics and the standoff - they also differ on another fundamental issue: the sore subject of the cane roads. Those roads have to be whipped into shape before the season starts so that the farmers can get their cane out. The responsibility falls to government, but the Prime Minister repeated to the farmers today, that if they aren't serious, he cannot prioritize their roads:..

Jules Vasquez
"When will you all start working on the cane roads?"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Not yet, I have said and I repeated it, I can't start working until I know whether there is going to be a crop."

Reporter
"The Opposition has criticized that position by the government saying that it's your responsibility to fix the roads not withstanding what's happening."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"It's my responsibility to fix all the roads in the country and I've indicated it's a matter of prioritization. There are people in Toledo who can't get out of their villages. There is only a certain amount of money that can be dispersed immediately. There is only a certain amount of work that can be done immediately. This would be a priority, but if there is not going to be a crop then you can understand why I will assign the priority elsewhere."

Alfredo Ortega, Vice President - Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
"I think that there is not only the cane farmers that live in the North, it's not only us that use the roads. We have other farmers in other areas; the papaya industry, we have vegetable farmers, the Mennonites and we have the students that need the roads. I think that it is very important regardless of what happen with us cane farmers and BSI that the road should be fixed."

Today's meeting only lasted about an hour and ten minutes. Even with the PM recovering from spine surgery, that's especially short for the cane farmers who are known to hold all day meetings like they're sipping a cup of tea. But today's meeting came to an abrupt end when a bomb scare was called into the Biltmore at around 11:00. We asked Ortega about it:..

Reporter
"The bomb threat, tell us about that?"

Alfredo Ortega, Vice President - Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
"That is what we were told. That's why the meeting didn't finalize as we expected, but at least we went through the main core of our queries and they went up and say that there was a bomb threat and we had to evacuate the building."

Reporter
"Any suspicions as to that bomb threat?"

Alfredo Ortega, Vice President - Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
"I really don't know. It was told to the Prime Minister and he passed on the message to us and he told us that we need to evacuate the building because of the bomb threat."

Reporter
"And the fact that you notice no one else was evacuated."

Alfredo Ortega, Vice President - Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association
"It's very funny because they said that each and every one had to evacuate the building."