Posted: Thursday, December 8, 2016. 6:11 p.m. CST.
By BBN Staff: The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) met at its Orange Walk branch office today to respond to criticisms raised by the Minister of Transport & NEMO, Edmund Castro as well as those raised by the Sugar Cane Production Committee (SCPC).
According to the BSCFA, the reason it was suspended by Fairtrade is because an unlicensed farmer was delivering cane to the mills in the name of another farmer.
Minister Castro had accused the BSCFA for being suspended by Fairtrade because it poorly managed its books and refused to remove the name of Eloy Escalante from it and instead put his son’s name.
According to the BSCFA that is not its duty, instead the duty of the SCPC which collects monies from every ton of sugar exported from Belize through the Fairtrade agreement.
The BSCFA also dismissed the Minister’s allegations that it has been decertified.
Instead it emphasized that it had only been suspended and was given one month to respond to the letter of suspension.
The BSCFA has responded to the suspension and has been allowed 6 months to implement corrective measures.
However, it insists that it is the SCPC that is to register farmers and oversee the licensing process.
The BSCFA remains faithful that the suspension will be lifted.
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