<div id="attachment_108301" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width:160px;"><a rel="nofollow" class="highslide" target="_blank" href="http://edition.channel5belize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Alfredo-Ortega.jpg"><imgclass="size-thumbnail wp-image-108301" title="Alfredo Ortega" src="http://edition.channel5belize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Alfredo-Ortega-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Alfredo Ortega</p></div>
<p><strong>We note again that the impact will be felt on the ground by farmers, not by attorneys in a Courtroom. The reality is that as things stand now, there is absolutely no stability in the industry, and none of the stakeholders know what will happen next. In his press conference on Thursday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow appeared to be washing his hands of the BSCFA, and indeed backing away from the very volatile situation. His new stance has had tremendous effect on cane-farmers, according to the BSCFA’s Alfredo Ortega.</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Alfredo Ortega, Director, Orange Walk Branch, BSCFA</strong></p>
<p><em>“The situation is that the farmers are being pushed to sign on something that they know is not beneficial to them but because of the situation, because of what the Prime Minister said yesterday, farmers are being cornered. Farmers really show signs of fretting because of what was said yesterday that if that agreement is not signed there would be no crop. I have had many calls from farmers yesterday and even late last night saying that if the Prime Minister is not with us, where are we? So we would want to see a crop start and if there is no other way then let’s sign the agreement. It is a pity and it makes me very sad that farmers have to be pushed around into this situation whereby they have to find their situation corner and they are obliged to sign something even though they know that it will be hurting for them in the further run.”</em></p>
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<p><strong>We note again that the impact will be felt on the ground by farmers, not by attorneys in a Courtroom. The reality is that as things stand now, there is absolutely no stability in the industry, and none of the stakeholders know what will happen next. In his press conference on Thursday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow appeared to be washing his hands of the BSCFA, and indeed backing away from the very volatile situation. His new stance has had tremendous effect on cane-farmers, according to the BSCFA’s Alfredo Ortega.</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Alfredo Ortega, Director, Orange Walk Branch, BSCFA</strong></p>
<p><em>“The situation is that the farmers are being pushed to sign on something that they know is not beneficial to them but because of the situation, because of what the Prime Minister said yesterday, farmers are being cornered. Farmers really show signs of fretting because of what was said yesterday that if that agreement is not signed there would be no crop. I have had many calls from farmers yesterday and even late last night saying that if the Prime Minister is not with us, where are we? So we would want to see a crop start and if there is no other way then let’s sign the agreement. It is a pity and it makes me very sad that farmers have to be pushed around into this situation whereby they have to find their situation corner and they are obliged to sign something even though they know that it will be hurting for them in the further run.”</em></p>
View the full article