A delegation of nine Extension Officers and Farmers have returned to Belize after attending a successful five-day Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Technical Exchange visit. The technical visit focused on capacity building and training of technicians and agro producers in Coban, Peten, and Alta Verapaz in Guatemala. The visit was made possible through the Technical Cooperation Intra, under the project Sustainable and Inclusive Belize (BL-L1041).
During the visit the delegation had the opportunity to witness the work carried out by the Cooperative Federation (FEDECOVERA, R.L.) and its associated cooperatives like the Ixcapec Industrical Plant Facilites, the Chicoj Cooperative, the Coopesejove R.L Co-operative and the Chirrepec Cooperative in Coban, Alta Verapaz.
Most of these cooperatives focus on the production and processing of cardamom, turmeric, tea, cocoa and coffee. The most interesting part of the tour was the visit made to the mountain where a group of youth and women known as the Coopesejove produce turmeric in a high mountain terrain. Other places visited included the Bioles factory and the Biotechnology Laboratory.
In Coaba, Peten, the delegation observed the work supported by the FORESCOM, a community enterprise that provides forestry services and products as well as the Silvopastoral system that is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture in Peten, Guatemala.
