The 9th Multilateral Meeting of Medfly Program Commissioners from Mexico, Guatemala and the USA, with Belize as an honorary member, is taking place in Mexico City on November 8, 2023. Belize is represented at the meeting by CEO in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE), Servulo Baeza, and Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) Managing Director Zoe Zetina.

During the meeting Belize signed the 2024 Work Plan for the Cooperative Fruit Fly Control Program with the United States Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS). This work plan is under the Memorandum of Understanding between the MAFSE and the USDA signed in Washington on December 8th, 1976. The work plan, including financial plans, describes the responsibilities that USDA-APHIS and MAFSE/BAHA have for implementing the Mediterranean Fruit Fly Control Program in 2024.

The multilateral agreement is between Guatemala, Mexico and USA. Belize participates with these countries in a regional strategy to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly in the region and suppress spread to any other regions.

The Mediterranean fruit fly is considered the most important agricultural pest in the world. It has spread throughout the Mediterranean region, southern Europe, the Middle East, Western Australia, South and Central America and Hawaii. The Medfly can infest hundreds of varieties of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Belize is so far from Medfly free, thanks to collaborative efforts by BAHA and partner agencies in our neighboring Central American countries with traps and border vigilance.