As we told you at the top of the newscast, it's a historic day in cane country - after two breakaway associations representing combined production of four hundred thousand tonnes of cane signed independent agreements with BSI/ASR. That means that with at least a combined 500 thousand tons of cane, the crop season may be able to start in a week or ten days.
That pretty much means "game over" for the naysayers - who have held countless press conferences and interviews to urge the farmers to stand strong.
Today, in one last swipe at what he considers lamentable circumstances Director of the Orange Walk Branch Fred Ortega blamed it on the Prime Minister:..
Alfredo Ortega - Director, BSCFA Orange Walk Branch
"What was done was to open the minds of the farmers for them to make better decisions on their future. That is the situation and the farmers are in that mentality, that they are being cornered, because they are not signing this agreement in their willful understanding. They are signing this because they are cornered and they want a crop to start because they don't want to lose what they have, because 99.5% or 100% of the farmers owe a financial institution. And if they are unable to pay back, none of the financial institutions will come and pat their shoulders and tell them forget about what you owe and continue your life. That will never happen. So, those are the factors that really cornered the farmers to sign that document and most of all is what the Prime Minister said in his press conference. That has what cornered the farmers more to do those signatures."
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