| And the other agricultural issue of national importance right now is those sugar roads. They continue to delay and hinder timely production of cane especially in the Corozal district.
But when we spoke to the PM again today he told us that the rains have not only affected the roads but also the quality of the cane in the fields:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I will start with the last. Yes, we have the support of the cane farmers. We have been we've done very well for them. If you remember, the previous government used to give them four hundred thousand dollars."
"What we have done, we have signed a contract in December. But we can't control the rain. It's been raining since October, virtually nonstop. And the only way we could fix these roads if if it gets dry."
"And they know that. But of course, the impatient and I understand the impatience. What we have done, we have put in another million on top of what we have already signed. So I think probably going to be about two million dollars."
"We've never put that kind of money. And they know that and they're working with us. But even the factory is not going well for them because the sugar, the cane that we bring in has too much water. The water content is so high. So the tons of cane, for a ton of sugar is way too high. If I use that, then people will not know what I am talking about. So when usually, we have about nine tons of sugar for one ton of sugar, we are about 18 tons of cane to one ton of sugar."
"The amount of mud that comes into the system, it's it's wrecking up the equipment of BSI. So who knows? Maybe maybe we should have held back even a bit more for conditions to change."
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