And while beverage makers and distillers of rum are pushing back against price increases, the Prime Minister - like his Minister of Agriculture - supports an increase in the price of sugar. He says the price of sugar in Belize is about a third of the cost in countries like Mexico and Guatemala. He spoke about it at his summer camp in Orange Walk today...
John Briceno, Prime Minister:
"We have looked at it and it's certainly something that we are prepared to take a look at and we have already agreed that the price of sugar, consumption of sugar locally has to go up. The price is about a third of what it is in Chetumal and in Guatemala so a lot of our sugar is being taken illegally into Mexico and Guatemala and then we run out of sugar and to be able to offset that we have to raise it a bit. But when we raise it a bit then the farmers get more, the farmers are suggesting they want some of those monies to be put into a sustainable trust fund and if that is what they want to do it's up to them because 65% of the prize goes to them now its voluntary so it's something that they want to do then we would support."
