As we told you earlier this week, Belize's northern sugar cane industry is facing an existential crisis, including climate change and fusarium infestation.
In that spirit, the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and ASR/BSI this week signed an addendum to their Commercial Agreement extending it for another year.
A release says, "This extension will facilitate a smooth start to the 2026 Crop Season, slated to begin later this month."
Chairman of the BSCFA Fred Ortega explained why they signed:
Alfredo Ortega, Vice Chairman, Committee of Management BSCFA
"Well in reality it came about because we are seeing the situation with our famers and as you know last crop was not a good crop because of the fusarium, the milibug and the other insects that were damaging the cane so when we manage to see the problem that we had last crop the damage was already done. This year we are seeing that the canes are much better so our farmers are really looking forward to deliver that cane because they and we wouldn't want any infestation to come about and they would be losing what they have at point because if you see the history the farmers are unable to deliver their cane then they are unable to make back their money they invested so based on that the committee, the board took this to the farmers in the general meeting and the meetings we had on the different branches and the farmers approved that we go forward and sign this agreement with BSI which we were proposing 3 and they came out proposing 1 and I want to clarify that because I heard in the news that they say BSCFA was proposing 7 and we have never proposed 7 in any signature. We have always seen most 3 but this time BSI came out with 1 and the farmers agreed we do so and that is what transpired yesterday."
