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That decision was made this morning in Orange Walk Town and 7News was there:..

Jules Vasquez reporting
A small crowd of 16 protestors gathered outside the BSCFA office this morning. Their signs in English and Spanish called for Chairman Ezequiel Cansino's resignation - and said that to sign the agreement with BSI was suicide.

Ofelia Montejo, Corozal - 35 Acres
"At no point as cane farmers we have said we want a riot or we want a strike. We want the crop to go on, but we must not hang our self for that cause because the 3 clauses they have given to us have no benefit for the farmers. The fight is not with the government. The fight is with BSI and ASR because they are trying to under [ay us for our hard work in the fields. This cane clause will damage us down the road and that is why I am here because I don't want the directors to sign."

And while they were organized to do the work outside, five branch chairman led the effort inside with a petition to present the full 19 page agreement to the general membership.

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"On the bi-laws it reads that it should comply and that's what we will do to the cane farmers. We decided that we will be having this special general meeting this Sunday 4th January."

It's a letdown for Cansino who was pushing for the agreement to be signed today:

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"That was my expectation to have it signed today, but I have to go with the majority and also with the bi-laws of the association, so on the request of the 5 directors for this special general meeting, they are pointing that we give the membership the entire agreement that will be signed and for them to give us their blessing on that. That's the purpose."

Jules Vasquez
"Is the agreement in English or Spanish?"

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"We were discussing that also and we will try to make it available in Spanish for the cane farmers."

Fred Ortega, Calling for Special General Meeting
"I wouldn't call it a victory, but what I would say is that I think that at least they listened to our voice because what we were looking for is for the farmers to have a better knowledge on what the contents are within the agreement itself - the content of it. We want the farmers to clearly understand and to clearly analyze what the impact would be with those 3 points and the rest that are within the content. Personally I would want to see a shift on it and to continue negotiations and to get something more beneficial to the farmers."

Ofelia Montejo, Corozal - 35 Acres
"Some of our farmers do not understand English and the lawyer that was there reads about 15 minutes English paper and our farmers don't understand."

Fred Ortega
"I don't think that it will be done in Spanish, I wouldn't want to put my hand on fire for it. But I think that in English as is it will be presented to the farmers."

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"We hope that the membership gets to understand exactly what we will be presenting. That's why we are trying to translate it in Spanish and find someone with that capacity to explain it also in Spanish. It's the first time that this will happen and indeed we were discussing that there are points or pages that is not necessary to be given to them because it refers how the procedures will be done specifically for some employees at the queue or at the laboratory."

So a full agreement has never been circulated before - and it's not exactly what you would call light reading - so are they simply using this to go for a second vote upon that which has already been decided?

Jules Vasquez
"Are you trying to get a second vote on those 3 points of compromise which you feel are advantage taking of the farmers? Are you trying to get a second vote on that by taking the entire agreement there?"

Fred Ortega
"The voting will be based on the entire agreement and that is part as you rightly said. But we want the farmers to understand clearly what those 3 points are and what the contents of those 3 points. As you rightly said, yes we are looking forward to a second voting if we could call that a second voting."

And so on Sunday Ortega sees it as a chance to save the industry, while Cansino sees it as an opportunity to move ahead:

Jules Vasquez
"What is your greatest hope and expectation to come out of Sunday's meeting?"

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"To have an acceptance by the membership and to sign this agreement as soon as possible, maybe Monday and to start the crop, because the start of the crop is very important for the cane farmers right now and I would say that the majority are willing to harvest their product."

Fred Ortega
"So what are looking for is that farmers reconsider, but if in the reconsideration they come out with the same issue, well then, we cannot do anymore because as you know the masses of the farmers are the ones who have the final say in any issue of the association."

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"My branch is not agreeing with this special general meeting because they say that as a branch and being the largest one, we are being the most affected because we are losing a lot of revenues since our production for this year is over 150,000 tons."

Jules Vasquez
"So your branch feels that it is being held hostage?"

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"Yes."

Fred Ortega
"None of us are stopping the crop to begin. All of us want a crop to go ahead and we have said this from all the interviews that has happen. Personally, I have said that on all the interviews, we want a crop to start, but it is BSI that has said if we don't sign an agreement, we cannot start a crop and that shouldn't be like that."

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"If we start January, we are putting at least 20% that will not be harvested. So maybe we will be able to harvest 80%."

Jules Vasquez
"How much is that worth, 20%?"

Ezequiel Cansino, Chairman - BSCFA
"If you multiply that - we are talking San Estevan, it might be more than 30,000 on the field left."

All 18 branch Directors attended today's meeting and a majority of them supported the motion to go back to their membership.