On Tuesday's news, we told you how the 2020-2021 Sugar crop season was put on a sudden, temporary pause. For several combined reasons, the factory isn't getting the daily minimum amount of sugar cane it needs to run efficiently. So, the stakeholders have decided that it's best to stop with the grinding and address the cane supply issues affecting the industry.
Part of the struggle for farmers is that the sugar roads in the north are in bad condition due to being battered by multiple, sustained bouts of bad weather over the last year. And, if you ask the PUPs, the conditions of these roads have worsened over the years due to neglect by the Barrow Administration.
But, Barrow's retired now, so there's no sense in blaming him - now the responsibility rests with the PUP government. The press asked the Minister responsible for Infrastructure and Development yesterday about these woeful roads yesterday:
Hon. Julius Espat - Minister of Infrastructure, Development, and Housing "The truth is we can't fix 12 years of neglect in 2 months. That's a fact. One of the questions that you should ask the ex-minister is why did they not address the issues of the sugar roads in 12 years of his existence. And so, we are faced with that reality. Yes, I have been in communication with the Minister of Agriculture, and yes, we have already started work in the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts. We have spent up to this point, approximately half-a-million dollars in Corozal, and approximately half-a-million dollars already in Orange Walk. But, half-a-million dollars for sugar roads is insignificant. We have culverts that have now broken up. We have roads that have been washed away. You're talking about hundreds of miles of sugar roads. It's not a little bit. And the Minister of Agriculture fully understands. He's part of Cabinet too, so he understands that we have been - Cabinet has agreed to give us a budget to do more sugar roads, but because of the bureaucracy, and because of the Finance and Audit Reform Act, we have to follow procedure. And you will see that in this coming House Meeting on Friday, those will be presented in the House of Representatives for approval. And then, we'll be able to do more work. But, we can never - and you cannot expect us to magically solve 12 years of decline, 12 years of neglect in 2 months."
