CITRUS GROWERS MEET TO DISCUSS AGREEMENT

September 18, 2006

A special general meeting of members of the Citrus Growers Association was held on Saturday. Love News spoke with Chief Executive Officer of the Citrus Growers Association Bridget Cullerton. 

Bridget Cullerton:

“Certain of the agenda item was by general agreement of the membership not dealt with at all because of having dealt with the key issue on the agenda item which was the investment agreement that the CGA-ICLD Investment Committee Limited as well as the Citrus Products of Belize Limited and Blue Waters and Banks Holdings were engaged in so after much discussions and debate the conclusion was that a committee of five persons was formed to take a look at the investment agreement in more detail and be able then to comeback to the membership with their recommendation of the investment agreement. And the five persons that are listed as persons to be on the committee are Mr. Victor Juan, Mr. Arsenio Burgos, Mr. Anthony Chanona, Mr. Chris Roe and Mr. Bill Tillett. Those are the five persons that will form this committee to look more critically and in more detail at the investment agreement than the general membership would have had a chance to do. We now will be having another meeting after the small committee looked at it in more detail and come back with a recommendation to the general membership and the deadline for this will be October fifteenth.” 

Cullerton said the investment is available to all. She told us what some of the concerns raised by the growers are. 

Bridget Cullerton:

“There weren’t any new concerns they were the same concerns and principally the issue that the investment agreement appears to favor more the investors by appearing to give them control over the factory and its operations and to some degree its revenues that is one of the main concerns. Another was the issue of the price formula which ordinarily we the citrus growers are able to negotiate with the factory personnel and it seems as if the investors the way the phrasing of the investment agreement is right now would have total control and say in what level of payment the growers will be able to get for their fruit and that was another key point of contention with the growers which were all things that cam out in the paper.”

Cullerton said she appreciates the turnout for Saturday’s meeting. 

Bridget Cullerton:

“I would just like to thank all the growers who did show up because this was an extremely important meeting and the participation was very very good but most of all I would like to share the thanks to growers and persons who where there who displayed the kind of respect for each other. I think many people on the outside were looking for of what might be called sky rocketing kinds of activities to occur but I do want to thank all those who were there for the type of behavior, deliverance of their presentation and respect shown generally which I have come to believe the citrus industry is given, the resiliency it has people are able to come together fixed through issues and then come to logical conclusions. I would like to thank all who did come and hope that they continue to participate in this fashion.” 

The meeting was held at the I -T -VET compound on the Stann Creek Valley Road.

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