The Government of Belize (GOB), with financing of BZ$ 40 Million from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and participating beneficiaries has embarked on a six-year Programme, Resilient Rural Belize (RRB), which aims to minimize the impacts of climatic and economic events on small farmers while supporting sustainable market access for their produce.
The Programme Management Unit of the Be-Resilient Programme (PMU), acting through the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment (Lead Programme Agency) and working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, has overall responsibility for programme implementation, including the administration and implementation of the Programme’s Matching Grant Fund (MGF), the main objective of which is to support the achievement of the Programme’s objectives by co-financing investments that would improve, in volume and quality, small farmer agricultural production and safeguard food security in the context of existing and projected climate change effects. Working with Producers’ Organizations, the Programme is providing support for the development of business plans, which identify proposed investments, including technical assistance and capacity building, aimed at achieving the above objectives, and which shall be used as the basis for accessing support from the Matching Grant Fund.
As a follow-up to Matching Grant Fund Agreement signed on December 2nd, 2021, between the Government of Belize and the New River Farmers’ Co-operative Society Limited, located in San Carlos Village, Orange Walk District, the RRB Programme will provide support for a total amount of BZ$ 255,530.00. This money will be used by the members of the Co-operative to become more resilient by working cooperatively and build an Office, Storage and Marketing Centre in the community and to hire a Marketing and Administrative Officer to manage customers and suppliers. It will support members to receive, sort, store and sell all the produce from 17 acres of onions and 6 acres of carrots to be cultivated both cooperatively and individually. Other activities will also include the financing of a capacity building plan, to improve management, reduce chemical use, improve water management for irrigation, quality control and enhance gender equity. The MGF also aims to increase the economic, social, and environmental resilience of the Co-operative. It is expected that this investment will positively impact directly 29 households representing the 39 members of the Co-operative.
On Thursday, July 28, 2022, the New River Farmers’ Co-operative Society Limited will be presented with office and processing equipment, to support this initiative. These equipment will include: a printer, desktop computer, refrigerator and plastic crates. These equipment, valued at BZ$ 8,000.00, will be handed over by Hon. José Abelardo Mai – Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprises – on behalf of the Resilient Rural Belize Programme, in compliance with the first phase of the implementation process.