Cane Trucks Ready to Roll at Tower Hill

Now that the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and Belize Sugar Industries have struck a one‑year extension to their Commercial Agreement, we’re getting a clearer picture of when the sugar season will finally get underway. A tentative start date is now set for January nineteenth, when rows of cane trucks are expected to begin lining up at Tower Hill. Industry leaders are optimistic this season will see better‑quality cane than last year, after a difficult period that pushed Belize’s sugar industry to the brink. Climate change, persistent crop diseases, and years of mounting pressure have taken a serious toll. Last season, fusarium significantly cut into yields, leaving many farmers already stretched thin. As the new crop approaches, there’s hope this year will bring some relief. With just days to go before the start, farmers tell us they’re ready in the fields, while final preparations are now underway at the mill and along the sugar roads to ensure everything is in place for the season ahead.

 

Salvador Martin, Chairman, BSCFA

“Tentative and depending to the steam trial that will be tentative for tomorrow in the side of the milling, if nothing happens after the steam trial – no leak everything, then the mill says that will acknowledge that it’s ready for start. In the side of the farmers, we are ready. Farmers are ready to start. The only issue was the sugar roads that is kinda delay. We hope that the government will do its part and once that be complied by that date, if nothing happens, everything gone with the steam trial good. I think that we’ll be ready for start the nineteenth in that tentative date.”

 

Shane Williams

“What should we expect for this crop? What are you seeing on the field so far and what do you expect this year?

 

Alfredo Ortega, Vice-Chairman, Belize Sugarcane Farmers Association

“I think that we’ll be having some more versus what we delivered past crop. We are seeing with the intervention that was done because if you can recall, last crop when it was announced that we have the damage of the fusarium, it was late in October on which really the damage was already severe. So the reduction in regards to yield was very high. This year, we’re seeing with the intervention that was done at least in August that has reduced the severity of the impact or the negative impact of the product. So we are seeing a better opportunity this year. We believe that we’ll be having more sugar cane to deliver to the mill. And also we believe that the quality of cane will be much better than last crop.”