The citrus dispute has been raging for the better part of a year but
so far it’s all been just talk – hard talk, mind you, but talk nonetheless.
Today, the citrus growers ratcheted things up against the entrenched board of
the Citrus Products of Belize Limited with a mass protest. Hundreds of farm
owners and their thousands of workers descended on the headquarters for CPBL.
The protest was timed to coincide with the arrival of two executives from Banks
Holdings – the Barbadian Company with a 47% interest in CPBL. 7News was
there from start to finish and Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
It was a ‘hell-uv-a’ of a crowd in Pomona Valley this morning as
thousands of citrus farmers, farm workers, and their families protested on the
Hummingbird Highway. Most quietly paraded with placards on foot, some were crammed
into the back of trucks that would normally have been transporting oranges but 
were part of the protest. And others rode atop tractors as they peacefully protested
along a quarter mile stretch from the Pomona Sports Field to the doorsteps of
the Citrus Products of Belize Limited where honking was as loud as it got.
Today’s protest was peaceful but these farm owners and workers hope the
sheer volume of the protest will send a strong message to Pomona Valley. And
that’s a message to the Citrus Products of Belize Limited and its Chief
Executive Officer Henry Canton.
Aaron Gongora, Dangriga Mayor/Citrus Trucker
“You see what this placard read, I represent twelve truckers who are 
on the verge of losing their haulage rights from the CPBL thing because of basically
a price change. Stann Creek truckers as opposed to the rate from a Belize City
man. We need to survive and we can’t haul at the rate which the Belize
City men are offering to CPBL. That is basically what we truckers are saying.”
Farmer #1,
“I am out here to protest for my rights. Mr. Canton is violating my
rights and I am not agreeing with it so therefore if it takes tomorrow and the
next day I will be here. The message I want to send is we have three up there
that we want down; Mr. Redmond, Mr. Canton, and Mr. Duncker. That is my message.”
Emmerson Galvez, Grandson of Farmer
“I out here to represent the people from Dangriga and my grandpa because
my grampa is sick right now. He would be here but I am representing my grandpa. 
We want changes now. Enough is enough and that is why I have the message thing
right here: Canton must go, Redmond was go, enough is enough. We got tired of
that and that is why I am representing my grandpa because he soon dead.”
Mike Scott, Citrus Farmer
“I would like to see those guys resign so we can look at the agreement
and really know what happened. Too many secrets.”
Farmer #2,
“I am just here because I am a small grower and I don’t like
much of what is taking place with us, as a grower because from I started out
we worked with the CGA and the CGA worked with us but now I understand they
want to change and take over the CGA.”
Farmer #3,
“I am here because I don’t like Canton, I want to move Canton.
I want to get rid of Canton.”
But more than anger towards Canton which was illustrated on posters, the issue
for growers is their 51% controlling interest in Citrus Products of Belize Limited.
Henry Anderson, Executive Director – CGA
“I will have to take back to 2006 really quickly, an investment agreement 
was signed and when they found out about it they realized that they would still
own 51% of CPBL and they could appoint five directors to the board of CPBL but
that the investor had to approve who those five people are. That is crazy.”
Brian Bowman, Chairman - Citrus Grower’s Association
“What we are standing up for is our absolute right, we are not trying
to cause mischief, it is just our absolute right to take possession of what
belongs to us.”
Henry Anderson,
“The point here is that the CGA owns 51% of that company and it wants
to have its five people on there. Notice we have not given any critique of CPBL
because that is a matter you discuss in the boardroom. We have never said that
everything at CPBL is bad, we have never said that, that is the spin. The issue
is that the growers own 51% and they should have their five people.”
Brian Bowman,
“Our position, our absolute position is to have our directors to sit
on the CPBL board, which we are entitled to five. We have three directors; Henry
Canton, Mike Duncker, and Frank Redmond who have reluctantly don’t want 
to move and are challenging us in court, finding any loophole and it is just
totally unacceptable.”
Henry Anderson,
“The joke about all of this guys, the travesty, is that a CGA or any
association for that matter or any company for that matter has 51% and has to
be out here saying we need to be on the board.”
Anthony Chanona initially supported the investment but today he apologized
– admitting he made a mistake.
Anthony Chanona, Citrus Grower
“I used all the influence I have to argue that the growers accept
this investment agreement based on some recommendations that were made. These
recommendations were never adhered to and today we have a controversy, full
blown. The information that we were working with was not materially consistent
with fact. And so the change of heart can only be to explain the procedure we 
used to amend the investment agreement. But I invested in the competence, I
trusted in the vision of the CEO of CPBL but I would now say the procedure we
used was flawed.”
Denzil Jenkins opposed the deal from outset. He says today’s protest
should send a clear message.
Denzil Jenkins, Citrus Farmer
“If the presence of these growers does not send a message to all concerned
then something is very wrong. So this has to speak loudly to encouragement to
growers, that they are not alone, particularly the 400 small growers who need
protection. It is going to speak loudly to Belmopan because these are votes,
these are votes. It is going to speak loudly to Henry Canton that the growers
are insisting that he steps down not only as a director but that he steps down
and be removed as CEO of the company.”
And what if it doesn’t?
Anthony Chanona,
“We must find a way to sit under a tent as industry and come up with
what I believe are solid solutions.”
And with the industry at a crossroad and the battle lines now clearly drawn
in Pomona Valley – that solution may be easier said than done.
While estimates vary widely, a conservative estimate would put it at
1,500 protestors. The CGA estimates the size to be closer to 3,000. And while
size does matter – we might add that most of the protestors didn’t
speak English and the protest was more perfunctory than it was fiery. We assume
that is because they are mostly immigrant farm workers. According to the CGA
there are 400 small growers. We should note that the executives of Banks Holdings
were not at the CPBL Factory today. They reportedly arrived in the country this
afternoon for a board meeting to be held in Belize City.
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