PM Briceño Says Regional Markets Can Save Sugar

As cane farmers await final payment on this year’s harvest, Belize’s sugar industry is facing another difficult period, with Prime Minister John Briceño pointing to climate change and the mealybug among the challenges confronting farmers. But he says expanding local refining and selling more refined sugar into regional markets could bring better returns for both the industry and cane farmers.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I think it is estimated that it is about ten dollars. We know that the sugar industry is going through a very difficult time and lot has to do with nature and the issues of climate change. Fusarium last year and now this year the mealybug. As a government, we’ve been working with them trying to assist in any which way we can. We have a $50 million project through the Five Cs, working with the cane farmers, how we could address some of these very same issues. These prices are set world prices. What is important to point out though is that we are selling more and more of our sugar into the CARICOM market and then that gives us a better price. And the last meeting I had with BSI and Santander is the refinery that Santander is setting up will almost be finished. I think they want to inaugurate it, if not at the end of this month, sometime early next month in November. It’s amazing what they have done so far. And both of them are saying that we could take all the sugar that we have, refine it here and then sell it as refined sugar and be able to get even a better price not only for the company but also for the farmers. but also for the farmers.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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