While the BSCFA is satisfied with the outcome of yesterday's negotiations - they had to compromise to get there. And the man in the middle was the Prime Minister - doing a kind of shuttle diplomacy with ASR/BSI on the phone and the cane farmers in person.
Yesterday Keme - who has been critical of the PM - told us that his role was critical:
Reporter
"We know that you guys see this as a victory but obviously there were some compromises. Are you guys satisfied with what you had to give up?"
Javier Keme, BSCFA, Finance Committee
"We are satisfied in the sense that we understand that the long term interests that we were seeking were achieved. So the basement, the foundation for what the BSCFA was working on, is set. There was a firm commitment of the government of Belize to establish a commission of inquiry. Which will be the beginning of a new sugar industry act. That is a commitment, it is not a promise anymore, it is a commitment. So we have a written commitment from them for that to happen in the next two years that is why we agreed for that period."
Reporter
"Do you believe this could have been done without the government's intervention?"
Javier Keme, BSCFA, Finance Committee
"No, it couldn't. We had tried since 2015 different ways even mediation and it hadn't worked."
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