The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise announced that the Department of Co-operatives, responsible for the registration and regulation of co-operatives, held registration ceremonies on June 3rd 2022, in Concepcion Village, Corozal for Concepcion Vegetable Farmers Co-operative Society Limited and Northern Sustainable Agro-producers Co-operative Society Limited.

These new co-operatives have transitioned to formal and legally recognized enterprises under the oversight of the department. This gives them access to auditing, conflict resolution services, and entrepreneurial development programs, among others.

Concepcion Vegetable Farmers Co-operative Society Limited is engaged in the production and marketing of fruits and vegetables and will operate from Concepcion Village, Corozal. It has twenty-two (22) members, twenty-one (21) men and one (1) woman, who come from Concepcion Village. Northern Sustainable Agro-producers Co-operative Society Limited is also engaged in the production and marketing of vegetables and will operate from Xaibe Village, Corozal. It has eighteen (18) members, eleven (11) men and seven (7) women, who come from the villages of Xaibe, Patchakan, and Cristo Rey in the Corozal District.

During the ceremony, remarks were made by Mr. Orlando Ek, Chair of the Concepcion Vegetable Farmers Co-operative, Mrs. Maria Yam, Chair of the Northern Sustainable Agro-producers Co-operative, and Mr. Gareth Murillo, Registrar of Co-operatives. Mr. Servulo Baeza, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise was the keynote speaker. Present were farmers of the co-operative, staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise, and representatives of the Resilient Rural Belize Program,