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As we told you in our last segment - there has been a compromise between the BSCFA and ASR/BSI. Farmers have accepted a proposal that does for things:
1.) It sets the commercial agreement for two years, not the four ASR had proposed with no three year roll over.
2.) GOB will support the fair-trade process, and if the BSCFA does not get it this year, government will provide 1 million dollars to the farmers for fertilizers
3.) Hugh O Brien will do an economic analysis of the shipping at Big Creek versus the port of Belize. He will do that in 3 months and during that period the government will pay the terminal and throughput fees that would have otherwise been paid by the BSCFA.
4.) A commission of inquiry will be set up in the next 30 days.
And tonight it seems the cane farmers have accepted, but last night was a whole different story. Here's what Fred Orteaga had to say about his norteno PM last night at their closing press conference:
Alfredo Ortega, BSCFA Chairman
"But I would just like to add onto what has been said by Mr Oscar and my other 3 colleagues that we as BSCFA have tried all the way in this negotiation to move the goal post to move and to adjust to what BSI has been looking for."
"From Thursday last week the negotiations got more. I yes when we have the participation of the minister of agriculture, his team, our team including the prime minister. We thought that things would be resolved because having the maximum leader of the country things should have been solved. Nevertheless we are here, Wednesday, tomorrow will make 8 days since we are negotiating and our prime Minister has been there and nothing has been resolved. We heard that he stopped his vacation visit to Rome and he came back today. We thought that with his coming back we would have a resolve today this afternoon, and we are back to square one."
"It is a pity that our prime minister is really not looking forward into the cries of the farmers we that voted him in as our prime minister. We are calling his attention, that he needs to really look upon the people that voted for him. Its not only the cane farmers, because this is not only affecting us as cane farmers, directly yes, but indirectly there are other people involved and those other people are voters. How the hell? Is it that out own Prime Minister cannot come and help us resolve one issue? One issue? He prefers to leave his people, to leave his voters to the ditch! And give the multinationals the respect that he should give to his own people. That is what we are looking for that our prime minister and our ministers in government really look upon our farmers, really look at what the need is because the way he is behaving. He is behaving very weak! And a prime Minister should be like a father if you have your father at home and he is unable to protect his sons and daughters at home what will happen in the house? Rules and regulations have to prevail and that is the responsibility of our prime minister. He should look upon that instability can be created because of his attitude, but nevertheless he gives Damn! To what the farmers suffering so we are calling the attention of our prime minister to come and let us resolve this situation."
