The Belize Sugar Industries (BSI) is looking to set a new record for raw bulk sugar exports to the United Kingdom. It marks a significant achievement since the company improved raw sugar and molasses logistics facilities at the Port of Big Creek in June 2022. The company had invested heavily in the port to improve its ability to export sugar and reduce logistics costs. Over the next eight days, the company will load 39,500 metric tons of raw bulk sugar, valued at approximately BZ$49 million. The company’s Communication and Government Affairs Officer William Neal, says the shipment is a significant improvement over the previous system the company used in Belize City.
Willam Neal, Communications and Government Affairs Officer, BSI: “I believe that we set a national record for a single product being exported from Belize and it was for 39,500 metric tons of raw bulk sugar to the UK. It’s valued at about 49 million Belize dollars and it took up eight days, it will take us about eight days to load. And given the fact that with the new improved logistics operations that we have at Big Creek we’re able to load between five and seven metric tons a day. However, we’ve had some challenges because of the rain, but still, it is a vast improvement over what we were accustomed to with the tug and barge system off the coast of Belize City at anchorage which would have taken about 40 days to actually load the same amount of sugar.”
Neal added that apart from cutting loading time, the facility allows the company to save and pass on those savings to sugar cane farmers.
Willam Neal, Communications and Government Affairs Officer, BSI: “It’s built in whatever savings we have under the net strip value agreement that we have in our contracts. You know, the farmers whatever savings we have 65% of it goes back to farmers. So not only are we saving money but we are able to service markets in a shorter time that perhaps we would not have been able to with the older system that we had. Additionally, the savings, you’re looking at a situation where after a certain amount of days you start paying the moorage charges and that would have been maybe depending on the size of the vessel itself, it could go from $25,000US a day upwards. So imagine if after 14 days you had to pay that for every day that the ship is here whether it’s rain or shine or whatever. So this is quite a significant milestone and proof positive that the investment of 30 million plus Belize dollars at Big Creek was definitely a strategic investment by the company that benefits the entire Northern sugar industry.”
The shipment also generates significant foreign exchange earnings for Belize.
