Agriculture - Greater Belize Media

Rodents Ravage San Miguel Farms; Farmers Alarmed by Unusual Invasion

Something strange is happening out in the farmlands of San Miguel, Toledo, and it’s got farmers scratching their heads. One farmer says rodents are running wild, tearing through freshly planted corn seeds, nibbling on young shoots, and even munching away at pumpkin plants and other vegetables. He says it’s unlike anything the community has ever seen. So, what’s going on? We asked that question to Minister of Agriculture Jose Mai. He told us that while his field officers haven’t yet investigated the reports, rodent activity in farm fields isn’t exactly unheard of. Still, with the damage being described, this might be more than just a typical case of pests.

Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“Rodents in agriculture are common. Every year they are common. Rodents in stand over cane are common. If you don’t harvest your cane forget it. It is not strange and surprising to anybody. If it is an invasion of rodents I don’t know. What do you call an invasion? If you have ten rats in your field eating a pumpkin, is that an invasion? My technician will have to go and make an assessment and report back to us. But, I have never heard of rodents eating out an entire field. It is like everything. If you have a bushy farm, your corn under overgrown weeds, the rodent will find a suitable place to live so he will live there. If you have a cane field that is bushy and weedy, the rodents will live there.”

Sweet Victory: Cane Farmers Win First Round in Fairtrade Court Battle

There’s a big development out of the Belize High Court and tonight, sugar cane farmers are calling it a step in the right direction. The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association is celebrating a legal win, not a final verdict, but a green light to move forward with their case. The association claims that Belize Sugar Industries and T&L Sugars Limited withheld Fairtrade premium payments between 2021 and 2022, funds that are meant to support farmers with fertilizer, community programs, and more. Now, a judge has ruled that the case will be heard right here in Belizean courts. News Five spoke with B.S.C.F.A. Chairman Alfredo Ortega, who says while this ruling is worth celebrating, the fight for justice is far from over.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association

“We feel that justice is prevailing way. It’s something positive for us as an organization. And it came in a right time, when the farmers are getting desperate with everything that is ongoing and plus that we are not getting any premium as yet. I think that this came right in time so that farmers can see that something is being done. Nevertheless, we are not getting the fund as yet. This is just a first step towards what we have in court. But it is very important for us the direction that the judge has taken with this. We have been respecting fair trade standards. We have been working. Nevertheless, we don’t have any funds. We have been working in maintaining the certification because we know that having the certification give us the opportunity to remain our association fair trade certified. So once we are certified, we know that there should be a guarantee that our organization should be getting its rightful premium as the other association. But as you see where things are at this point because of not signing the letter of enhancement we are where we are, but we hope that the courts can resolve these issues that we. Haven’t been able to resolve amongst ourselves between the BSC and BSI.”

Fusarium Outbreak Threatens Belize’s Sugar Industry

The sugar cane industry is facing a full-blown crisis. A fast-spreading fungal disease called fusarium is tearing through sugarcane fields across the country, infecting over sixty thousand acres and severely damaging another eighty thousand. Earlier this month, Agriculture Minister Jose Mai warned that the fight against the disease could stretch into next year. But for farmers on the ground, time is running out. They’re doing everything they can to save their crops, but without immediate help, they could lose everything. Chairman of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, Alfredo Ortega, says the situation is dire. And while the government and its partners are working to contain the outbreak, farmers are calling for urgent support before it’s too late.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association

“As we speak right now, we are seeing that this fungus is really spreading very fast. And we are seeing more after this big rain that we had about a week ago where the big flooding happen. Now we are seeing the results in the cane fields right now as you cane, if you would come up north right now, you will see the damage that is ongoing. There are many meetings that is are being called right now to see how best assistance can be directed to reduce the spreading of this fusarium. Today we had a meeting with personnel SIRDI, which they are talking to see how they can work out with the what they half a million that was granted by the Ministry of Agriculture to the farmers.”

Double Disaster: Floods Deepen Sugar Cane Crisis

As if battling a devastating fungal outbreak wasn’t enough, sugar cane farmers are now facing another major blow, flooding. Weeks of heavy rainfall have left cane fields waterlogged across the country, wiping out crops and compounding an already dire situation. This season has seen one of the lowest yields on record, with production down by nearly thirty percent and losses estimated at a staggering fifty-three million dollars. Chairman of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, Alfredo Ortega, says the future of the industry is uncertain, but despite the setbacks, farmers are still out there, doing everything they can to keep it alive.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association

“But nevertheless, the see the issue and the situation farmers are facing right now on which the reduction of yields for this past crop was in the vicinity of forty to thirty percent. The price that we are seeing right now for the Sugar cane being delivered is very low. So even right now, if the farmers fight very hard to see how they can get the product to reduce the spread of the disease is very hard at this point in time. But we are trying our best to see how we can continue so that we can have some product for the upcoming crop. It’s a very difficult situation right now, and it’s not very easy for a farmer to change from one planting to another. Because as everything is driven by market and everything is driven right now by the economical standpoint where we are at this point in time. I believe that ninety-nine percent of our farmers are indebted to either one bank or an institution, financial institution. So it’s very hard for us right now as farmers to say, okay, we’ll leave the sugar cane and. Another direction. So we’re trying our best to keep what we have and to see how best we can work with the organization or the government or whosoever can help us, assist us so that we can have product for the next upcoming crop.”

Belize High Court Backs Cane Farmers in Fairtrade Premium Dispute

In a major win for Belize’s sugar cane farmers, the High Court has ruled that it will hear a high-profile case brought by the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association against Belize Sugar Industries and T&L Sugars Limited. The farmers claim they were cut out of Fairtrade premium payments for the 2021 and 2022 crop years, and they’re accusing the companies of conspiracy and breach of trust. The defendants tried to get the case thrown out, arguing that any dispute should be handled in London under an expired arbitration agreement. But the judge wasn’t convinced. He ruled that the Belizean courts do have jurisdiction, and that the farmers have a legitimate case worth hearing. The matter is now set to proceed to trial.

Agriculture Minister, “Cane Farmers Deserve Fair Sugar Price”

The Minister of Agriculture is stirring the pot, this time, over sugar. Jose Abelardo Mai says Belize’s cane farmers have been quietly footing the bill for years, selling sugar below the cost of production. He claims that while the public enjoys sweet prices at the store, farmers are taking a bitter hit. And while some may laugh at the idea, Minister Mai isn’t joking. He says it’s simply unfair, and with rising production costs and growing health concerns around sugar consumption, he’s hinting that a price adjustment may be on the horizon. But don’t panic, he insists it won’t break the bank. In fact, he argues it might even be a good time for Belizeans to cut back on sugar altogether.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“The cane farmers have subsidized the Belizean public with sugar.”

Reporter

“People have laughed when you said that.”

Jose Abelardo Mai

“Yes, they laugh because it is true. Why, if it costs me seventy-five cents to produce a pound of sugar, why would I sell it for seventy-three. It is unfair, it is unfair to the cane farmers and we’ve lived with that price for so many years. It was cheaper than that before. It was at fifty cents, I think. So who would produce and sell something cheaper than what it costs to produce.”

Reporter

“One of the things that I pointed out was that we only sell what, fifteen thousand tons, plantation white and brown on the local market. Like how much of revenue would an increase be for that tonnage?

Jose Abelardo Mai

“I have those figures, but I am not prepared to share them yet until I go over them again. But if you look at the per capita consumption of sugar, it’s not a lot, you know. I think it’s about fifty pounds, fifty-six pounds per person, per year, times seventy-five cents. That’s what it costs. So if you increase by twenty-five cents or fifty cents, that will not impoverish everybody. So, it’s not like you will spend thousands of dollars more for sugar. We should consume less sugar as a country. We have obesity, we have hypertension, we have diabetes. We have a lot of these cases in Belize. So we should consume less sugar. And so, I believe that it is not something that would impoverish a nation. It’s not that. It’s not that.”

Molasses Price Debate Heats Up: Farmers, Rum Makers at Odds

Molasses might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of national debates, but it’s now at the center of a growing conversation in Belize. Agriculture Minister Jose Abelardo Mai says local farmers want to raise the price of molasses sold to rum producers, arguing that the current low cost fuels the production of cheap rum, something even Cabinet members have linked to social issues in urban areas. But rum makers are raising objections, warning that a price hike could push them out of the market. So, here’s the question: should the focus be on protecting local industry, or addressing the broader impact of cheap alcohol? It’s a sticky situation, pun intended, and one that’s sparking real debate.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“We export molasses to the US. There are essentially only two buyers of molasses in the world, both of them are in the U.S. But we are talking about molasses that is sold in Belize locally to the rum makers and they’re only like three or four, maybe half a dozen rum makers that buy molasses to make rum. You know the companies that sell rum, over and over again, you hear cabinet members saying, “Unu know this rum di destroy families in the cities because it is cheap, it is so cheap.” It is cheap because molasses sold locally is cheap So the farmers are saying, on the C molasses, increase the price by one and a half times, and then the B molasses, you increase by two times the price. Those molasses are used to make rum, and so, if you think rum is a good thing, then you’ll have to pay for it. But that is what the farmers are asking in their joint release that they issued.”

Reporter

“The producers of these liquors are saying that an increase may push them out of the market completely.”

Jose Abelardo Mai

“Look, I won’t get into that because I won’t get into any argument or debate with the rum makers. But some of the rum makers in this country are some of the wealthiest people. That’s all I will say.”

Belize Eyes End to Cane Field Burning

Burning cane fields has long been part of Belize’s sugar industry, but is it time to put out the flames for good? Agriculture Minister Jose Abelardo Mai says yes, and he’s pointing to a future where burning is replaced by machines. While regulations already exist, Mai admits they’re not enforced. And with fewer people willing to take on the grueling work of cutting cane by hand, the shift toward mechanized harvesting is not just necessary, it’s inevitable. But here’s the bigger question: can Belize modernize its sugar industry while also turning environmental challenges into economic opportunities, like carbon credits? The answer, it seems, lies in how quickly the country can adapt.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“There is a regulation for burning, you know. You should get a permit to burn and so on, but it’s not enforced. It’s not enforced. We need to, in the near future, move away from burning cane fields, but that will only happen when you start to mechanize the cane fields. Right now, this year, we found it difficult to find cane cutters and clearly you have to understand why. Cutting cane is an enslaving job, it’s almost inhumane. And so, people don’t want to cut cane anymore because they have a job to do somewhere else. And we are now, you are seeing farmers who are buying combine harvesters, they are starting to invest in combine harvesters and the government supports that because they need to get the cane harvested. When you have a hundred percent cane harvested mechanically, there is no need to burn. There is no need to burn. You can convert that, like I said before, to bio-char and collect carbon credits, sell it as carbon credits. So this, again, needs to be something that’s done in the near future.”

Cane Farmers Say It’s Time to Rethink Sugar Harvesting

When it comes to sugar cane, timing is everything. Agriculture Minister Jose Abelardo Mai is shedding light on a key issue affecting the quality of Belize’s sugar crop, what’s known in the industry as ‘kill to mill.’ That’s the time between burning the cane and delivering it to the mill, and the longer it takes, the more the quality drops. But that’s not the only factor; how the cane is cut, whether it’s mature, and even how much mud ends up in the load all play a role. Now, farmers are calling for change, not just in how cane is harvested, but how they’re paid. They want individual payments based on quality, not group averages. So, could new legislation and better practices be the key to sweeter results for everyone involved?

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“Well I’ve heard that. I mean there are so many things that lead to low quality sugar cane, right. Kill to mill, that’s what they call it. From the time you burn the cane to the time you deliver it, the longer that period extends, the lower the quality. The quality is affected. Kill to mill. So that affects it. The way you cut cane affects it, you take mud into the cane field. If you harvest cane that’s not mature, it again affects the quality. So there are many things that affect quality.”

Reporter

“But you’d want to legislate that. Like when they harvest and so?”

Jose Abelardo Mai

“I think it can be. I’m not saying it should not be but it could be controlled. It could be controlled.”

Reporters

“The farmers are asking for a change in payment. Right now, it’s being done by group. They want it to be done individually. Do you favor that?”

Jose Abelardo Mai

“I think they are referring to core sampling. Right now, the farmers get paid per quality, by group. So if it’s my group, say San Lazaro branch, which is C15, I think the price paid was above some of the others because the quality was better or something like that. So it is payment by quality, but per group.”

Sugar Industry Declares Crisis, Demands Action

Tonight, the backbone of northern Belize’s agriculture is officially in crisis. In a rare and urgent move, the four major sugarcane producers’ associations have come together to declare a state of emergency in the sugar industry. The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, Corozal Sugar Cane Producers Association, Northern Sugar Cane Growers Association, and Progressive Sugar Cane Producers Association say the industry is under siege from pests, disease, and the growing threat of climate change. Yields are down, quality is suffering, and livelihoods are on the line. In a joint resolution, the associations are calling on the government to act now. Their proposals include a levy on molasses-based alcohol to fund a Cane Sustainability Fund, a price hike on domestic sugar with most of the gains going toward sustainability, and a boost in electricity tariffs from bagasse to support green infrastructure. Without swift and decisive intervention, Belize’s largest agricultural foreign exchange earner could collapse. The resolution has been formally submitted to Prime Minister John Briceño and key ministers. The clock is ticking.