At the top of the news, we told you how the impasse in commercial relations between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and ASR/BSI has caused an industry-wide shutdown. Today was supposed to be the scheduled start of this new sugar crop season, but because of that dispute between these 2 business partners, the Sugar Industries Control Board is refusing to complete the legal steps required to start the season.
But if you have a good memory for news, you'll know that the industry went through similar hardships over a breakdown in relations between the BSCFA and ASR/BSI. For multiple seasons between the years: 2014 to 2017, the disagreement caused the industry to start late, and they lost major revenue. BSI/ASR estimates that those delays caused the industry to lose some 20 million dollars in earnings. And once again, the quarrel over bagasse, which was a major sore point, has come up once again.
Here's how Oscar Alonzo of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association described their views on their payment for bagasse during their press conference last Thursday:
Today, the press asked the leadership of ASR/BSI about the misgivings over the payment for bagasse. That's when "Mac" McLachlan reminded the public that they invited the BSCFA to help them with the investment necessary to build the BELCOGEN plant. He said that they refused, and so, ASR/BSI followed through on it without their aid:
According to McLachlan, several years ago, there was a clear understanding that after an agreement was reached on the payment for bagasse, this issue would be resolved permanently.
