For the past year, the Sugar industry in the north has been so much in the news that we've kind of forgotten about citrus in the south. Government had to intervene dramatically in that industry to stabilize it last year. But since then, how has it been doing? Well, we got the full lowdown at the end of crop year meeting on Saturday in Pomona Valley. Jules Vasquez reports:…

Jules Vasquez Reporting…

Everyone was under the tent at the CPBL – even though the tent has gotten smaller as the industry has been in the doldrums for the past three years due to citrus greening.

Doug Singh - Chairman, CPBL

"If you look at the reversal in 2012 the industry started turning around. It was after that it collapsed; and when it collapsed it was of a result of the threat of hlb. You will recall around that time there were destructions in nurseries. There was very reinvestment done and we're going through the results of those lower investments."

And the result is successive losses:

Doug Singh - Chairman, CPBL

"So you will see that in 2014 – the company loss was reduced to 1.3 million dollars. Not the right direction – well the right direction relative to the previous years but certainly not the kind of thing that can continue to sustain a company. And of course this breathes to all kinds of speculation; will this company be around to process our fruits? Should I continue to invest? Should I expand my groves? Should I replant my groves? What's going to happen down the road, what is the trend?"

"Why am I going to expand my acreage? Why am I going to replant what I have if I don't know what's going on with the company if you've been losing money, and losing money and losing money. In the years you make money, you have to retain that to cover your loses that you've made in previous years."

Saturday's meeting was about giving the farmers some comfort and confidence about the future and some good news:

Doug Singh - Chairman, CPBL

"We are this year expecting to earn a 1 million dollar profit at4.6 million boxes."

"Today is really to give information to growers. I was told that there has not been a crop over exercise; or any meeting with the factory and the growers since 1994. That is 21 years ago. That has to change; the relationship in the industry between the families in the industry has to change."

"We're family, to a great extent but a company exists to make money. That has not been a situation at CPBL for the last 3 years or so. That has to be a primary objective."

"I am hoping that when we are done here today that you are excited; that you going to walk away from here going like, I feel good about this industry. I'm going to regrow, I'm going to reinvest, I'm going to rehabilitate some of my groves; I'm going to expand my groves. If you do that we'll all benefit. I need you to feel good about this company."

Singh looked like he was feeling good – and unlike other meetings in previous years, this one had no contention. In fact those who once threw barbs were on this day tossing bouquets of praise:

Eugene Zabaneh - Large Grower

"I certainly would like all of us to give Mr. Singh the chairman and the board a resounding applause, a big, big applause.

"I couldn't be more pleased and relaxed as a grower; with his presentation and them the confidence that he had instilled in us this morning.

But the citrus kumbaya can't last very long if production does not go up. Right now this factory is functioning at a mere 50% of its capacity:

William Bowman - Large Grower

"We have a good industry; but the industry will die unless we can improve production. Production lowers the unit cost; growers make more money. Lowers the processing cost; processor makes more. We must improve production one way or the other."

Doug Singh - Chairman, CPBL

"We had a decline of 41% of fruit deliveries. That is higher than the industry standards and the company has to do something about; and the company is doing something about that."

"Based on what we have on the ground we really don't expect production levels to be much more than what we've go now for the last 3 years; in the next 3 years. This means around 4.5 million boxes. We're optimistic that it will be better, but we need to be realistic."

And right now realism means cutting costs – being more efficient – which means making some tough choices:

Doug Singh - Chairman, CPBL

"We operate two factories and we operate both factories inefficiently based on delivery schedules. We're going to work together next year to see how we can fine tune those delivery schedules. But in addition to that, the company has to take some action of its own."

"The company made a decision to consolidate the factories. There was no need to run two operations if this is what we currently have; and this is what we expect to have over the next 3 years. As a result of that, CCB, the factory at CCB is being closed down."

"We're consolidating the company which should yield over 2 million dollars in savings per year. Which means that if fuel prices go up, we will be operating at an efficiency."

And by taking actions such as these, Singh says Citrus can navigate its way to a stable future:

Doug Singh - Chairman, CPBL

"We're not jumping around singing kumbaua yet; but we are socializing with each other, I would say that Mr. Jenkins is sitting down with cocktails to drink; but I was reminded he doesn't drink. But there is a real good one and one; even one on one with the directors sit aside. The relationship that existed before is really behind us to a great extent."

Tomorrow you'll hear Singh explain why he doesn't agree with the citrus numbers form the statistical institute of Belize.