Tonight the standoff in the sugar belt continues - trucks are still blocking the entrance to the Tower Hill factory, no interim agreement has been signed, and, now, cane farmers are threatening to go protest in front of the home of Prime Minister John Briceno.
Our news team spent another day outside the Tower Hill factory and here's the report on what all happened today:
When we arrived back at the Tower Hill Factory this morning, we found large numbers of cane farmers leisurely relaxing as they try to find the most comfortable bit of shade to rest.
They had food and beverage supplies at the ready; some chose to nap right under their parked truck. One farmer even set up a makeshift hammock.
If this wasn't ground zero for a protest/stand-off in the sugar industry, the environment could have passed for a camping trip or a retreat. One farmer even injected a bit of their cane country swag to lighten the mood.
Some of the protesters chose to spend the entire night at this location to make the point clear that unless an interim agreement is signed, they ain't going anywhere any time soon.
Maria Martinez - Cane Farmer
"Some of us slept sitting down. I for the most part, was sitting down. Some of the caneros were under their trucks because they already have days out here, and others were sitting down."
Daniel Ortiz
"If there is no signature, no agreement, are you going to spend another night out here?"
Maria Martinez
"Yes, yes, I'm willing to support the cane farmers, to show the people that all of us are supposed to support. It's not just one of us. There are a lot of cane farmers."
Jair Bustillos - Young Cane Farmer
"We are staying here until they do something."
Luis Luke Martinez - President, NTUCB
"Cane farmers were sleeping on the street, under the dew, last night they were under the dew, today they are under the sun, standing up for their rights, standing up for the rights of the cane farmers, standing up for the people of Orange Walk and of course, standing up for the people of Belize, that is what these people are doing here, look at them."
The farmers say this protest is an important statement. They insist that their earnings from the sale of their sugar cane just isn't enough to feed their families and pay their loans and that this lack of financial prosperity has haunted them for several years now.
Aurelio Tun - Cane Farmer, 60 Continuous Years
"When were delivering at Libertad, with 25 gallons for a tank, I use to make 8 trips, that is roughly 3 gallons per trip and I was roughly 10 miles from the factory. Coming to tower hill, I am spending 10 gallons per trip, so the economy for me is not there, I am spending too much. I bought a dump truck and I am selling rocks to make gravel, so when the clean the land with all the stone, I plant cane with money from the stone, so it's money from the cane, so that's why I'm losing because I'm using somebody else's money to do the caning and with the price they are giving us. This year I planted none because I couldn't make, so that's why I say this is really affecting this price this company is giving us."
Jair Bustillos
"We are not getting any profit from it anymore, we are always doing investment with fertilizers, the trucks, the tractors, the tires, like we have to make loans."
Lisbet Carillo - Teacher/Cane Farmer
"It's not really lucrative for the cane farmers you know with all the prices going up for fertilizer, herbicide, you end up getting almost nothing at the end when you deliver, so what happens you need to invest all of this money, so at the end of the day you end up getting very little. So it's not something that is going to give you to survive, it's basically covering your needs as a cane farmer, so many of us will have to do something else, like I am teacher, so that helps me but with the 10% cut, I don't know what I'm going to do."
The BSCFA is also receiving a show of support from the NTUCB and the Belize National Teachers Union. The trade unionists say that they can understand and appreciate that this is yet another struggle for workers' rights.
Luis Luke Martinez
"These people are standing up and they are standing up for their rights, they are standing up for the rights of workers and this is where the national trade union congress comes in, I keep on saying and I'm not going to say anything different that the mandate of the national trade union congress is to stand up for the working class in this country, it doesn't matter if the workers unionized or not, our responsibility and goal is to stand up for the working class in this country."
But the fact is that for as long as this protest persists, that means more hours of non-productivity and non earning for all of the stakeholders in the industry.
Lisbet Carillo
"We're going to lose if this cane is not delivered, the cane cutters, they have worked, they have cut all of that, the cane loaders they have used diesel to work, so what is going to happen to all that produce? It's going to be loss, so it's very important for us to reach an agreement and get all of this cane in. When it comes to being a teacher, my point of view as a teacher, we're really worked about what is going to happen in January when school opens because many of our parents are cane farmers and if this is not solved, what will happen to their revenue? What will happen to the money that they usually get back?"
Felipe Tzul - Teacher/Cane Farmer
"We definitely ask for BSI to compromise just like the BSCFA and the rest of the cane farmers to compromise, to come up with an agreement."
Shortly after the midday hour, the leadership of the cane farmers showed up to request that some of the cane trucks be removed so that the entrance could become accessible. It was supposed to be a show of goodwill, that would lead to a signed interim agreement in a few short hours.
Andy Westby - Chairman Committee of Management, BSCFA
"We are opening the path for BSI to flow but we are giving 2 hours if by the time of 2 hours they don't come up with the signing of the agreement, we will close back the path again."
Reporter
"Who made the request?"
Andy Westby
"PM made the request for him to proceed with the interim agreement, so we are doing it as a good faith of farmer side but after 2 hours and nothing is done, we are closing it back again."
The protestors dutifully waited those hours out, and when Minister "Monchi" Cervantez showed up, it was with bad news, that the millers were asking for several more days so that their attorneys could review the final draft of this extension.
Hon. Ramon "Monchi" Cervantez - Cabinet Minister/PUP Area Rep.
"As I understand it, is that BSCFA lawyer has spoken to the prime minister and also they have contacted ASR's lawyers and ASR lawyers ask for some time to study the document that needs to be signed for the extension of the date from April 30 to the end of crop and they ask for time until Monday and then once that is signed then I think it takes about 24 hours for the boilers to crank up and everything, so PM told me we're looking at a time frame about Monday or Tuesday."
Shortly after they received the news that there would be no finalized agreement until at least next Monday, the protestors replaced all of their trucks in blockade formation to signal that their protest would continue for the next few days.
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"First and foremost let me say thanks to those persons who were involved and to the association as well as ASR/BSI for maintaining cool heads during this time."
And, even after all of that activity at the Tower Hill Mill, multiple days of hot sun, and last night's camping session, the farmers still had the stamina to stage a march in front of Prime Minister Briceno's House to signal to him that they are dissatisfied that there is still not a signed agreement.
Late reports suggest to us that the PM did reach out to BSI executives, and tomorrow morning the contract should be signed.
Shortly before the start of our newscast, BSI/ASR sent out a press release on the protest and the cane truck blockade.
"This morning, (BSI) remains concerned about the forced interruption of the 2021/22 sugar cane crop. As things stand, the Tower Hill Sugar Mill remains blocked and is unable to grind cane. The blockade is illegal and damaging to the broader industry, preventing cane farmers from all associations from delivering their cane. The delay if prolonged will risk leaving cane standing in the ground as a direct result of the blockage and BSCFA's deliberate breach of its cane purchase and sale agreement with BSI that remains in effect through January 19th 2022.
It is difficult to see a way forward until the mill is liberated and tensions ease. BSI is grateful for the intervention of the Prime Minister to try to unblock the mill and encourage a more sensible process. For its part BSI remains disposed to collaborate on a sensible and constructive way forward, free of duress and intimidation."
