Today the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association - protested on Belmopan. The mighty BSCFA has close to four thousand members, but only about 250 protestors showed up in the capital today, including farmers and family members.
Their intent was to send a message to Cabinet while it was meeting with representatives of ASR/BSI - much as they had done when they met with BSCFA on January 10th.
So the cane farmers went to Belmopan to try and influence Cabinet's deliberations. But, did it have the desired effect? Jules Vasquez found that they couldn't even get close enough to get Cabinet's attention:
Today, Chairman Fred Ortega and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association took their message to the stairs of the National Assembly Belmopan - even though no one was inside.
Fred Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA
"The Commission of Inquiry - they are demanding that government form one to open the accounts of ASR/BSI."
"And that is why we are here, because we want our ministers to understand that we want this commission of inquiry to take place."
Jules Vasquez
"Will you all reach a commercial agreement without this commission of inquiry?"
Fred Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA
"No, we need the commission of inquiry, because what we are seeing there are many things that we don't know on how BSI has put the charges on those things, so the commission of inquiry will bring out those numbers that should be the true numbers and then that will be the tool that should be use so that we have a good commercial agreement that will benefit both of us."
But they couldn't go right up to the Edney Cain building and tell them themselves - police turned them away:
Jules Vasquez
"You all wanted to march in front of this building here, but they are diverting you. They say that you all cannot march there. How you all feel about that?"
Fred Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA
"You see whenever the parties are in opposition, they shout a lot and they say they are supporting us, but whenever they come into position, that is where you see their attitudes how they changed and this goes for both parties."
Well UDP Leader Shyne Barrow and his first Deputy Hugo Patt showed up to count for the UDP. -
Shyne even co-carried the flag for the 60 year old BSCFA:
Jules Vasquez
"How would you respond to the criticism that this is just the regular political opportunism that the UDP did, the PUP did and now the UDP is doing again?"
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"The issue is that the sugarcane farmers want more. They want more that is currently under the agreement and they have some legitimate concerns that the numbers that BSI is giving them is inaccurate. So, I don't think the farmers are being unfair in their demand for greater share in the profits."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, you have been an ardent defender of foreign investors, much unpopular investment proposals such as Volcan, such as Waterloo - I am saying that why then don't you support ASR? Isn't it just the share political opportunity?"
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Unlike you I am not a sinister despicable creature who blows with the wind. I am not saying that you are, but I'm saying just like you think I am. I stand on principle. I don't believe that the Sugarcane Farmers Association is being unreasonable, so foreign investment, sure we welcome it, but we need to be fair."
Hugo Patt, Corozal North - UDP/Cane Farmer
"We stand in solidarity with the famers and this is not something that I am doing because I am in the political arena. If you know the life of Hugo Patt, I have always advocated for the wellbeing of a farmer. I am a farmer myself. Jules, I feel for these people and I think that the cause these people are fighting for is a just cause and when you look at what is happening now, 2 factors have to influence in what is doing on; one, is the high cost of production of sugarcane which is affecting directly and negatively the pockets of farmers and secondly, the high cost of living."
"Look, if there is nothing to hide, bring your books open, let us be transparent, so that at the end of the day, if you have invested one dollar in your mill or one dollar in your cane field, that is what both parties will see and they will agree upon and I think that is the way that we need to go. Just be open, be frank, be transparent."
Barrow, Patt and about 250 farmers and their families made their way around Belmopan to no great effect, the numbers were modest and the spirit slightly muted.
And that may be in part because their brother farmers from the much smaller Corozal Sugar Cane Producers Association were also there in solidarity with ASR/BSI and the government - as ASR representatives were inside the Cabinet room giving their side of the sugar story:
Reporter
"Ok so your message today is what really?"
Vladimir Pook, Chairman, Czl Sugarcane Producers Association
"In support of ASR and the government to have a good dialogue and to have a good presentation to the other ministers in cabinet."
And keeping counsel with them was the government appointed advisor to the sugar industry, Florencio Marin Sr:
Florencio Marin Sr., Adviser to Sugar Cane Board
"These small associations, three of them Corozal Producers, Northern and Progressive, they all have their commercial agreements, but as far as I understand the BSCFA crowd they are maybe a bigger association, maybe their rank and file are more demanding and that is why they have taken long to conclude a negotiation, but it can't go on forever. I am hoping that one of these days they will wake up and find out that the long-term interest of their membership is served. If they would only convince BSI/ASR that the way to go is compromise or as you put it, give and take. But I am hopeful that before the end of this year they will sign a commercial agreement."
Fred Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA
"Well, we haven't signed because we have seen how they are taking advantage of the farmers. Every time they are placing different services and they are charging for those services and they always mention of growing the pie, but they grow the pie for their selves, not for the farmers. Every time the farmers are getting less and less, and less."
And while for now the political chips may be stacked against the BSCFA, this - the largest growers association by far - has people power:
Jules Vasquez
"The association that supports the government or supports ASR is over there inside, but you all can't go in there."
Fred Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA
"Those are the injustices that we see and that is where your question came the divide and conquer how it works, because you see how they are there standing up for somebody else in which we are fighting even for them."
Jules Vasquez
"You all shouldn't have to have such a fight. This is a northern oriented government. They should be sympathetic to these farmers; these are their constituents."
Fred Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA
"Well, you know 2 years have passed and the BSCFA has always been passive in trying to come into negotiations that will benefit both sides. We have been very, very calm, very peaceful."
"This is the message we want the prime minister to understand that we are looking for not against the government, but we want a level playing field that now that they are in government - they have seen the suffering of the farmers for 13 years under the past administration, so they are supposed to know exactly where we are - what is our query, what is our fight and that is why we want them to understand that we want changes in the law, changes in every single area that will give benefits to the farmers."
Hugo Patt, Corozal North - UDP/Cane Farmer
"I think when you look at the Plan Belize manifesto, a lot of what was promised to them has to do with the sugarcane industry and so there was a high expectation that they would have seen something into fruition."
So, they haven't gotten what they might have expected when a norteno was elected Prime Minister - but after not even getting within earshot of the Prime Minister with a protest that meandered through the capital, what's next?:
Fred Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA
"Well, we have to have another plan B to this and plan C to this, because we won't stop. We want benefit for our farmers. Nothing less than that. We want a fair game play to them and we want a just payment to our farmers. That is what we are looking for."
Jules Vasquez
"So you all will not sign a commercial agreement this year with the present offer that's on the table?"
Fred Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA
"Of course, no. We want a different commercial agreement. We have been looking forward to that, we have gotten promises from before this party came into government that changes will be done. We are expecting those changes to happen."
Their demands will not relent and it is now up to the BSCFA to make the power base in Cabinet, their fellow nortenos, get the sense of how dead serious they are.
And while they were kept away from the Sir Edney Cain building where cabinet was meeting, the BSCFA was not ignored. Government put out a statement this evening saying, quote, "Cabinet is resolute that it will not nationalize the sugar industry and will instead try to get the parties on a collaborative path….Having heard from both sides of the issue, the cane farmers and the millers, Cabinet has set up a ministerial sub-committee to meet with BSI and BSCFA to chart a way forward for both sides to resolve their differences. The sub-committee will be chaired by Hon. Kareem Musa, whose urgent remit is to guide discussions between both parties so that an enduring commercial agreement can be concluded. Within the Constitution and the law, Cabinet will continue to engage with the parties, facilitating fair compromises and offering the government's support by whatever means are available." End quote.
The release does not say whether those means include appointing a commission of inquiry as the BSCFAA has repeatedly requested.
