Tonight, after a prolonged saga of discord, uncertainty and delays, the Sugar Industry is inching closer to a start for the 2014-2015 grinding season, but it is not without some measure of deterioration.
The result of a month and a half of disagreement is that the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association has been broken into almost 2 equal parts.
Before this crisis, the total membership of the association was approximately 5,500 strong. Now, after the latest survey the membership has decreased to approximately 3,088 farmers.
As we told you last night, the 18 branch chairmen of the association went back to their branch members during the weekend to take a survey on whether or not their committee of management should accept the cane deal with the factory owners and sign it.
The result of that survey is that 56% of the association's total membership say that they want the BSCFA to accept. These 3 thousand farmers own just over 856 thousand tonnes of the 1.477 million currently sitting in the field, waiting to be harvested. The Chairman of the Association's Committee of Management, Ezequiel Cansino, told the media this morning that 18 branch chairmen met today to discuss the results, and what it could mean for the future of the association:
Ezequiel Cansino - Chairman, COM of BSCFA
"We had a meeting today with 18 directors. We just finished this meeting and the purpose of the meeting was for all the directors to give their results of their branch's meeting that they had this weekend and the signing that they got from the cane farmers, who were willing to sign to start the crop and to keep under the BSCFA umbrella. Each director reported their results and in total we have 58% what is the production of 1.457 million tonnes. The exact numbers of cane farmers, still we have to tabulate. But, this more or less the average of the tonnage that we have, that signed to keep under BSCFA umbrella."
So, if you're still following, it means that 44% of the membership of the BSCFA has splintered off to form their own associations and reaping groups.
Before Saturday, there were 18 Branches which made up the association, but tonight only 15 remain unified. 1 branch, Patchakan, has exited the association completely. Some of its members will join the newly formed Corozal Sugar Cane Producers Association, Chaired by Elvis Canul. The rest, which owns approximately 91 thousand tonnes of cane, will form their own association and will sign with BSI separately.
Cansino sits as the Chairman of the San Estevan Branch, one of the largest under the BSCFA. His branch will also splinter because several members, who own 100 thousand tonnes of sugar cane, will go off on their own and sign with BSI/ASR separately. The rest, responsible for 52 thousand tonnes of cane, will remain under the BSCFA umbrella.
Of the 15 branches who will remain united under BSCFA, two of them, namely Orange Walk and San Pablo, will sign under duress or protest
Email
Print