Today in Belmopan, the press got to ask the Prime Minister directly about the many problems in the cane industry - centrally, that the largest growers association, BSCFA doesn't want to sign a commercial agreement with ASR/BSI.
They have asked for a commission of inquiry to investigate ASR/BSI's finances, but the government instead appointed a cabinet subcommittee to try and find common ground between the two sides. But the PM says that there will be a commission of inquiry set up - but it will not inquire into the commercial agreement, instead it will look into ways to make the industry more efficient:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Lets put it this way; we have to continue trying. We have to find a way in trying to find a solution to this. It is quite obvious and when you look at the margins that we won, that many cane farmers voted for us and supported our government and they believe and rightly so that we've always had a soft spot for agriculture and in this case for the cane farmers and we want to find a way how we can improve their livelihoods. But as I said it and I'll repeat it again, it is a commercial dispute that's taking place and the government does not have the legal authority to get involved in a commercial dispute. All we can do is to try to find a way how we can try for them to find a settlement."
"What we can do is work with the farmers, work with BSCFA and the other 3 cane farmers associations to see how we could improve their productivity. If you could produce more cain in less land, you could make more money. As opposed to be producing 18 tons per acre. If you have a 50 acre plot, you could then work on 25 acres and produce the same amount."
"A commission of inquiry can only provide recommendations. They have no legal footing to say this is what you have to do and this. So, we said it is high time to set up the commission of inquiry that will look at the entire sugar industry. Look at the fields, the planting, the production, the cutting of it, transport to BSI to the factory and for the factory, the export. So we have to look at the whole value chain of it."
The Cabinet subcommittee will bring both sides to the table to discuss the commercial agreement and try to find common ground.
