Costa Maya, Q.R. — Sugarcane producers say the rains produced by the passing of Hurricane Lisa through Belize left their fields under water. Sugar cane producers along the Hondo River in the extreme south say around 5,000 hectares were effected.
Benjamín Gutiérrez Reyes, President of the Sugarcane Producers Association, reported damage to crops after a tour of their fields.
“Yes, we do have damage to the crop since the winds left the canes practically lying down. We do not have a total figure since the Sugarcane Production and Quality Committee is still carrying out tours in the affected areas, but we are talking about at least 5,000 hectares affected, although this figure could increase because there are cane fields under water,” he explained.
Last month, southern cane producers said they were beginning the season a month early in hopes of increasing their harvest by producing 1.9 million tons this season, since last season, they did not meet their harvest goal due to poor weather conditions.
