Two of the three cane growers associations in the north yesterday sent a long letter to Government's EPZ Committee urging them to reject Santander's formal request to sell sugar on the local market. The Belize Sugar cane Farmers Association and the Progressive Sugar Cane Farmers Association say that Santander should face the maximum fine for selling on the local market. They add most emphatically that their application for a waiver to sell five thousand tonnes of white and brown sugar on the local market should be rejected. They explain that this would reduce the price paid per tonne to cane farmers from $42.51 to $40.65, a net loss of one dollar and sixty-five cents per ton of cane.
They say, quote, "approval of the waiver would mean destroying the financial livelihood of thousands of cane farmers…while supporting the…profits of the multinational, Santander," end quote.
One of those farmers is PUP Area Rep Jose Mai. He told CTV-3 that Santander is trying to shift the goalposts in the middle of the game:..
Hon. Jose Mai, PUP OW South Area Rep.
"From the moment Santander announce its intention to build a sugar mill and to start with sugarcane in Belize, it was with the understanding that they will seek the export market. It was clearly understood. At no point was it even considered that it would have been for the local market and that is why they applied for an EPZ. Santander people knew that the European market price would go down very shortly. They knew that, because that was in their feasibility studies before they launch the investment. So they need to stick to what they are here for - the export market. Which includes the Caricom. That's their problem. They need to go out and seek that market. But for them now to come and say that they want 30% of market share is unacceptable and we should not even encourage the thought of that."
Government has not said when the EPZ committee will make its final decision.
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