Belize Export First Shipment of Chicken to CARICOM

On December 23, 2020, Belize exported 16,000 lbs of assorted chicken meat to Grenada, the first-ever shipment of poultry products to the CARICOM region. This success was through the partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise

Western Dairies Belize under the Right of Establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) incorporated Western Dairies Grenada Ltd. in 2018 to serve as a hub for exports into the CARICOM market. The Directorate-General for Foreign Trade (DGFT) supported the company throughout the establishment process. This newly formed operation has been the conduit for several shipments of Western Dairies ice cream into the Grenada market and has now begun diversifying with the export of chicken cuts.

Belize’s Poultry Industry has been promising for export opportunities since the Caribbean Animal Health and Food Safety Agency’s (CAHFSA) 2017 risk assessment cleared Belize’s two processing facilities as ready-for-export within the CSME.

Over the last several days, the Government of Belize, through the leadership of Ministers Hon. Eamon Courtenay and Hon. Jose Mai, held focused discussions with their Grenadian counterparts to secure market entry for the Industry. Both Ministers remain committed to fostering strong public-private partnerships with the Belize Poultry Association and other private entities like Western Dairies Belize to facilitate market penetration for local producers.

The Ministries, through this medium, congratulate the Western Dairies Belize and the Belize Poultry Association on this historic milestone.