According to Ortega, the Prime Minister has told the BSCFA that if negotiations break down he would be willing to intercede. Well, for all intents and purposes negotiations have crumbled, but how practical is it to expect that the Prime Minister will intercede to coerce B.S.I. to make a firm, written commitment to farmers. The BSCFA remains hopeful.
Alfredo Ortega, Vice-Chairman, Committee of Management, BSCFA
“Look, when we were called in 2010 to go and be part of the round-table to negotiate so that B.S.I. could get the ten million that they were asking the government for as a relief on their situation that they had, they didn’t come with all sorts of things. We were there and we negotiated in good faith and we were able to sign with them so that they were able to get that help. So what we are looking for is that the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister of the nation, he is the Prime Minister of Belize. And what we are asking from him is that he should be taking care of us, the cane farmers, just like any other Belizean in the country. We are not asking for anything different. We are not asking for anything out of the government’s pocket. What we are asking for is something that is being a benefit for B.S.I. and we are asking a share out of that because they are using our bagasse as biofuel…that is what we are asking for.”
Reporter
Alfredo Ortega
“Mr. Ortega…it’s seeming more and more unlikely that the crop season will start on January fifteenth. Is that what you’re feeling as well?”
Alfredo Ortega
“Well yes, because Mike, we have been experiencing for the past two days some heavy rains also, and the situation of the roads remain the same or even worse as they were two, three weeks ago. If you would travel on the same roads you would see that they are worse. There are certain roads that have been polished up in a certain way so that they can be travelled by small vehicles, but for the big cane trucks it would be impossible for them to travel those roads in the condition they’re in at this point.”
Reporter
“Can we get an idea in layman’s terms of the losses which the entire industry will suffer if the crop season does not start on January fifteenth?”
Alfredo Ortega
“Well it would be a loss in a certain aspect and on the other hand it would not be a loss because at the moment as we speak, because of the amount of rain that we have experienced, the cane quality is not at the optimal point at this time, and it would be very expensive for the cane-farmers to transport that cane from the field to the factory because of the road condition and the field condition at this point.”
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