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And one of the challenges that BSI faced was their contention with the BSCFA. As another season ends, the two parties have still not reached an agreement, even with the subcommittee set up by the Cabinet. And today, Mac McLachlan says they're not budging from their position.
Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture
"I just asked for the report two days ago, I think the crop ends today, right? We were like 29% less than last year, which is, which is bad. It's not good. It's bad. Um, It just really, um, is really clear to everybody that climate change is a factor. The high cost of inputs is a factor. The lack of labor right now is a factor, and so it, there's a greater reason for us to look at diversification. We have problem in the industry every year. If it's not internal, it is a disease or a hurricane or something, we need to understand that diversification is necessary and so we have to work towards that. Um, I think, uh, citrus, uh, citrus is bad. Sugar right now is shrunk 29%. Um, bananas is not in a very good position either, but we were, we are working towards, towards, uh, coming back in next year or two, but we have to put measures in place now. So it's not an easy place to be right now if you're a farmer in sugar, citurs or bananas. Very challenging. But we are working towards, um, we're working with the three industries to see how we can rebound. It's not the first time that we reduced. We had the drought of 2020, 2019/2020, 30% less again. And this year that drought wasn't seen. But we had the Hurricane Lisa, which we thought had not affected the sugar cane, but apparently it did. It did. Then we had, frog hopper, had a lot of rainfall, as it get dried, so we get dry immediately two weeks after. And so, um, we are looking, um, At the evidence of climate change, real evidence, we are seeing it, feeling it. And so put things differently, we cannot continue to clear all the trees. And so we're working right now on a concept for agroforestry and civil pastoral systems as cattle is expanding in Orange Walk, expanding huge, but are we expanding the right way? Clearing all the trees is not the right thing to do. So we are addressing that right now."
