Cane Farmers Welcome One-Year Extension of BSI/ASR Agreement

Vice Chair of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, Alfredo Ortega, has regarded the one-year extension of the commercial agreement with BSI/ASR as a benefit to the cane farmers.  While Ortega somewhat agreed that there are major challenges in the sugar industry, he indicated that the farmers are willing to collaborate in overcoming those challenges.  He spoke with Love News on the interventions made in the past year which eventually led to the agreement.  He did note, however, that the farmers were asking for a three-year extension, but the parties ultimately agreed to a one-year extension, with the possibility of a rollover.

Alfredo Ortega, Vice Chairman, BSCFA: “Well, as you can recall last year we had some problems with the Fusarium and the other diseases that affected the sugarcane. The quality and the yield of our cane was so low. So this year with intervention that was done we are seeing some betterment in the sugarcane. So these  were things that took us to really reach to that agreement where we need that our farmers deliver and so that they can get the returns of the investment that they have done. These are things that created this opportunity to happen where we said, okay, we’ll be signing. It’s true that the BSCFA was asking for years and we end up with this one year with an opportunity of a rollover. This is something that we are acting in good faith so that the industry and our farmers can deliver the sugar cane so that they can get the return of the investment.”

As it relates to the future of the sugar industry, Ortega says they await the findings and resolutions via the Commission of Inquiry.

Reporter: How will the findings and recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry influence any future agreements and improve the relationship between the farmers and the millers? 

Alfredo Ortega, Vice Chairman, BSCFA: “Well, those are things that we will be seeing in the near future. Yes, there in the Commission of Inquiry there are certain things that are possible to assist us. Though we will be looking forward into those as time goes by where we can see how better opportunities can be granted using some of the information that came out from the Commission of Inquiry.” 

The extension of the commercial was signed yesterday, which extends the current agreement for an additional year, paving the way for a smoother start to the 2026 sugar crop, which is expected to begin later this month.  In a statement issued by BSI, the company acknowledged that the industry is facing what it described as an existential crisis, driven by a combination of climate-related pressures, declining cane yields, and the spread of plant diseases such as fusarium, all of which have significantly reduced cane supply in northern Belize.