A Smooth Kick Off for Sugar Crop 2011

At 11:00a.m. on Wednesday, 15 December, the Tower Hill Sugar Factory opened its gates for the commencement of the 2011 cane season. The first truck to deliver its cargo at 12.1125 tons of cane was driven by Antonio Castillo from San Estevan, who was all smiles in front of the many cameras present. Prior to Mr. Castillo’s grand entrance, the Sugar Industry Control Board (SICB) held inaugural ceremonies at the Factory entrance for the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute (SIRDI), which is a legal body under the Sugar Act of 2001. This program is an integral part of the overall strategy to improve cane quality in the field sector.
  
Delivering the keynote addresses were the Deputy Prime Minster, Hon. Gaspar Vega and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Rene Montero. Hon. Vega said that many people had told him that they did not believe the Industry was in peril, but in his position he knew that the reality was that the 2011 crop was very doubtful in the initial stages of the crisis. He thanked the Almighty for allowing the issues to have been resolved and in turn chided stakeholders that the Industry cannot exist if they do not co-exist. The two senior ministers urged all stakeholders to make this crop one of the best ever, given the fresh opportunity, and turn the tides which would return sugar to the top of the income generators of the North. They further urged that stakeholders develop a culture of mutual cooperation and to commit to make this a record crop, both in terms of cane quality and Factory performance.
  
In this regard, Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA), Mr. Alfredo Ortega, stated that all 18 branches of the Association had committed to the quality improvement program, which involves the delivery of clean, fresh and mature cane to the sugar mill. This practice, Ortega asserted, will allow for maximum yield of sugar from the cane.
  
On behalf of BSI, Managing Director Mr. José Montalvo told the audience that he had gotten assurances from his plant managers that both facilities were ready for the new crop and there was a commitment to mill the 6,000 tons per day. He mentioned that there was renewed optimism in the Industry and thanked the employees for the efforts made to carry out the upgrades at both facilities, Factory and Belcogen, in a very short time. This achievement, he claimed, was in spite of the uncertainty of the future of the industry during most of the off-season. 
  
Hugo Patt of the SICB in his remarks stated that the crisis has in fact given the Industry new life and renewed hope. The crisis which developed in 2010 can be turned into an opportunity to strengthen the Industry for the future, he said, and create a bond of commitment from all participants for improved performance.
 
After all the speeches of optimism, and the vocal commitment of stakeholders to put all energies into this critical crop, the invited guests were given a tour of the Factory and Belcogen Facilities, as they watched the first of the cane get crushed and turned into cane juice. Of note on the first two days, only green cane is delivered to the Factory, and judging from the first juice that came out of the No.1 Mill, it was of good quality.