And one sugar mill that's already doing co-generation is BSI. We haven't heard about them in a while - and that's because the mill is humming along and sugar is being delivered. But, while sugar is being milled in the factor, a Strategic Development Plan is also being developed in the board room. That will be the product of a consultation between all sectors, but the management of ASR/BSI wanted to push things along with the launch of what is known as a white paper, an outline of police developments which would go into that strategic plan. Today in Orange Walk, Mac Mclachlan told the media what some of the challenges are:..
Mac McLachlan, ASR's Vice President of International Relations
"One of the main reasons for having this strategic develop plan is to sequence the activity that needs to take place, but in a nutshell, this means improving the productivity of the sugarcane area in Belize. That means improving the yields and the quality of that sugarcane. We have, I understand about 75,000 acres of land at the moment and that land yields fairly low yields of sugar. If we are to expand the amount of cane produced, one way to do that is to improve the productivity on that land. The second part of this looks at the sort of regularity environment that would be necessary and also the sort of investment climate in which both the sugar farmers and also the mill are working at the moment and how that needs to be improved in order to take things forward. And the third segment looks at the other key element of this equation which is increasing the capacity at the power plant at BELCOGEN and the mill at Tower Hill. And also the logistics arrangements for taking sugar from the factory to the ship. All of this is inter-related, that's why we need one strategic development plan that all of the stakeholders to that plan are prepared to signed and committed to undertake their own respective roles and responsibilities within it."
The 48 page BSI/ASR strategy document is called Transforming the Sugar Industry of Belize into a Modern, Sustainable, Green Model, Contributing to Jobs, Growth and Energy Security" and it is published in Spanish and English.
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