Ribbon Cutting and Ground Breaking Ceremony held in Spanish Lookout

A ribbon cutting and Ground Breaking Ceremony was held today in Spanish Lookout. The first event was held at Western Dairies compound for the ribbon cutting of the company’s new Ultra High Temperature Processing Facility. Present for the ceremony are PM John Briceño, Minister of Agriculture Jose Mai and Area Rep Orlando Habet as well as members of the Spanish Lookout community.

The Ultra High Temperature (UHT) processing of milk refers to milk that has been processed at high temperature (at least 135°C). By rapidly heating milk to this temperature, keeping it there for a few seconds, and then quickly cooling it down, any microorganisms in the raw milk are killed off. Packaging UHT milk in aseptic containers leads to a shelf life of several months, and the milk doesn’t have to refrigerated until the package is opened. UHT milk is also referred to as long-life milk.
The new plant at Western Dairies will now be capable of producing milk with a shelf life of up to 3 months, compared to the previous 13-day shelf life product. This will also mean more deliveries from dairy farmers as the plant can process and package whatever amounts are delivered.
Western Dairies is the country’s largest producer of packaged fresh milk, cheese and other milk derived products such as ice cream. There are 6 outlets throughout the country and an outlet in Grenada in the Caribbean.
The second event was held at the Quality Feed Mill compound for the Ground breaking ceremony for Quality Feed Soybean Oil Refinery Plant in Spanish Lookout. Soybean cooking oil is a healthy alternative to shortening derived from animal fats. Quality Feed Mill has been processing soybean from 2016 and has now targeted the establishment of a plant that will be an 8 million dollar investment when finished. The plant will be able to produce up to 3.5 million liters of oil per year on completion. At present Belize imports up to 5.7 liters of vegetable oil per year, so when completed the plant will offer a viable alternative to imported products.

Thirty-seventh Session of the FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Thirty-seventh Session of the FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Minister of Agriculture the Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, along with the Chief Executive Officer Servulo Baeza and other technical officers from the Ministry of Agriculture virtually attended the Thirty-seventh Session of the FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN. The speech given by the Minister of Agriculture and the Chief Agriculture Officer, focused on the efforts to achieve better lives for farmers, women and indigenous groups and innovative practices in small-scale family farming & small & medium enterprises in the agri-food sector to achieve better production in Belize.
This year’s event is being held in Quito, Ecuador from March 28 to April 1, 2022, with the presence of the President of the host country, Guillermo Lasso and FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. The Regional Conference specifically focus on the new FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, moving towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.
The Regional Conference is held every two years and brings together the governments of the 33 Member States of FAO in Latin America and the Caribbean to establish the regional priorities of the organization for the next biennium.

Republic Of China Taiwan ICDF Banana Wilt Project Coordinator visits Belize

Republic Of China Taiwan ICDF Banana Wilt Project Coordinator visits Belize
A delegation from Republic of China (Taiwan) International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) is on a one week visit to Belize to implement a pilot project on satellite monitoring of banana plantations using state of the art technology. It is part of a regional project that Taiwan is funding in the region to strengthen the capacity of countries belonging to OIRSA, the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health, in the detection, diagnosis, and capacity building to respond to a possible threat of banana wilt caused by the fungus.
Apart from being an important export industry, banana and plantain form part of the diet of the Belizean population and their cultivation provides a source of income; thus, their well- being is a food security issue.
OIRSA has as its priority to establish regional action plans and work with national authorities to minimize or prevent the introduction and impact (social, economic and environmental) of diseases and pests in the region. In this regard, OIRSA has joined forces with ICDF ROC (Taiwan) to assist its member countries in the implementation of this project. The delegation has visited the Belize Agricultural Health Authority’s (BAHA) diagnostic laboratory, to get first- hand information on what is needed to strengthen the diagnostic capacity of the BAHA laboratory.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE) in Central Farm will be a major player in the project and will work with germ-plasm materials and training of farmers in disease surveillance and implementation of biosecurity protocols in the event that the disease gets into the country. BAHA, as the competent authority will be present for all the project implementation phases and will be the leading agency in coordinating the activities along with OIRSA.
CEO Servulo Baeza of MAFSE supports this initiative enthusiastically as part of a national mandate to safeguard the food security of Belize. The experts have met with him to discuss their work and will meet with the Banana Growers Association to fine tune the monitoring technology and to discuss the three- year project strategy for a better and more efficient implementation.
Another component of the project will be trials for agricultural and productive adaptation of the tolerant or resistant varieties of the banana wilt fungus which will go along with the biosecurity protocols for movement of genetic materials and traceability. The team has met with personnel from the University of Belize (UB) to include them in the research component and tissue culture technology of the project.

National Agriculture and Trade Show 2022

National Agriculture and Trade Show 2022

The National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) Committee under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise hereby informs the general public that the National Agriculture and Trade Show 2022 will be held on May 27, 28, and 29, 2022 under the theme “Innovations in technology: Driving a Climate Resilient and Competitive Agriculture and Food Sector”.

Preparation of the grounds is currently under way and the committee advises that the reservation and sale of concession stands, food stalls, and commercial booths has commenced. Right of first refusal will be granted to 2019 lease holders and as such those vendors will have until April 8, 2022, to confirm their desire to re-establish their booth leases by contacting NATS Headquarters. This preference exists EXCEPT where there was a reconfiguration of the grounds and/or removal of booths, in which case that space is no longer available for rental.

Effective Monday, April 11, 2022, potential new vendors, or those wishing to relocate to a new location will be invited to do so by visiting the National Agriculture and Trade Show Headquarters located on the showgrounds to view available spaces and complete the necessary transactions, if so desired. During the grace period granted to existing leases holders, new vendors may contact NATS headquarters to register their interest in spaces that may become available.

Vendors with down payments will have until May 13, 2022, to complete their payments after which that deposit becomes non-refundable.

For more information, please contact: 

Gary Ramirez -Chairman NATS Committee 

National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) Headquarters 

NATS Grounds 

Belmopan, Cayo District 

Telephone: 822-2648 or 623-0606 

Email: nats@agriculture.gov.bz 

Meeting with Members of the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation for Development

Minister of Agriculture Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai and technical personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture met with Ambassador of Mexico to Belize, Martha Zamarripa Rivas, and members of the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AMEXCID).
The purpose of the meeting is to exchange information on the actions of international cooperation in force between Mexico and Belize, particularly on the negotiation and implementation of the project in Belize.
is one of the core projects of Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s administration, in which inhabitants of rural areas receive an income in exchange for planting and caring for trees in their plots. The program seeks to address rural poverty and environmental degradation.

Handing over of Small Hive Beetle Traps

Handing over of Small Hive Beetle Traps
Small hive beetle traps were handed over to the Orange Walk Agriculture Department by OIRSA Country Representative Mr. Fermin Blanco.
The traps are to be use in beekeeping against the small hive beetle, which can infest hives, affecting honey productivity. The handing over involved a discussion with beekeepers on how to apply the traps and issues that could affect the bee population.
Beekeepers from Orange Walk were on hand to receive their traps from District Agriculture Coordinated (DAC) Sergio Hernandez, while a representative from Corozal’s Agric Office received the traps to be issued in that district.

Cattle Export Ceremony

Cattle Export Ceremony

Members of Cabinet including Prime Minister Briceño today attended a cattle export ceremony held at KaKabix corral in Shipyard, Orange Walk District. A total of 266 head of cattle were exported today as Mexican meat company SUKARNE sent 3 semi-trailers to move the cattle to Michoacan, Mexico.

The event was witnessed today by Prime Minister John Briceño; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration Eamon Courtenay; Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise Jose Abelardo Mai; Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Chris Coye; and various officials from organizations and government departments such as Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, Chairman of the Belize Livestock Producers Association Jeffery Reimer and members of his Board, Chairman Henry Anderson of the Development Finance Corporation and members of the management team, and officials from the Ministry of Agriculture. 

In their remarks both Minister Courtenay and Prime Minister Briceño spoke about the economic rebound the country has been undergoing and the role agriculture has played in that recovery. They also spoke highly of Minister Mai and his team in leading that effort. Both also referred to the role of the livestock sector in the economy and the significance of the regularization of trade with Mexico. Minister Mai for his part also emphasized that the industry brings jobs to hundreds of small holder livestock farmers throughout the country and that the industry brought in more than 49 million dollars in economic contributions to the country last year. 

After the ceremony the entourage were taken on a tour of Mr. Wall’s second corral in Shipyard. Cattle exports to Mexico are expected to regularize on a weekly basis throughout the rest of the year as both Belize and Mexico continue strides towards working out favorable agreements that will enable cattle from all over Belize to be exported to Mexico, and issues such as tariffs and other restrictions are addressed.  

Pictures of the event can be seen Below:

Handing over Ceremony of 4 (40 foot) Cool Storage Units

Handing over Ceremony of 4 (40 foot) Cool Storage Units
Through the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives and the Improvement of its Management Capacity Project, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security & Enterprise and the Japan International Cooperation Agency handed over today 4 40foot cold storage units at Indian Creek Community in Orange Walk.
The successful event comes from the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Belize and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The project is supporting 4 (40 foot) cold storage units to be used in the post- harvest storage of vegetables in the districts of Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize and Cayo. The cost of the project is valued at a total of $186,000 of which 15% will be supported by the Ministry of Agriculture in technical assistance.
The project aim is to increase onion and potato productivity and quality, and extend storage capacity for 4 additional months after harvest, increasing income generated by farmers by reducing food loss and wastage.
Present at the event was Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE) Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, who in his remarks mentioned that this is another achievement of the manifesto which addresses the compromise government has to ensure food sovereignty and investment in the development of new products from by- products and waste at the local levels by value adding and using processing technologies. Minister Mai also thanked the JICA personnel and the Government and people of Japan for their collaboration with the project.
His Excellency Kazuhiro Iryu, Japanese Ambassador to Belize, also delivered remarks and stressed that the Government of Japan is pleased to be able to assist Belize in achieving its food sovereignty goals and to help the agriculture community in enhancing its productivity.
After the ceremony and signing of agreements with the cooperatives receiving the cold storage units, the guests and officials present inspected the cold storage facilities. The San Carlos cold storage unit is being temporarily located at Indian Creek while San Carlos receives electrification, after which the unit will be relocated.

Los Buenos Amigos Co-operative Society Limited of Trio Village signs a Matching Grant Fund Agreement

Los Buenos Amigos Co-operative Society Limited of Trio Village signs a Matching Grant Fund Agreement
On Wednesday March 16th, 2022 the Los Buenos Amigos Co-operative Society Limited of Trio Village signed a Matching Grant Fund Agreement with the Government of Belize. Minister Mike Espat, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment and Area Representative gave the Welcome Address at the event and CEO Dr. Osmond Martinez gave the keynote address. Minister Oscar Requena and Minister Rodwell Ferguson also attended the event and gave remarks.
The Government of Belize (GOB), with financing totalling 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 Economic Development (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. The main objective of the fund 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.
The Matching Grant Fund Agreement is for BZ$337,453.00 which will provide support to the members of the Co-operative to become more effectively produce, market and sell their agricultural products. The funds will be used to build/enhance an office, storage and marketing center in the community and the installation of an irrigation system including an industrial well. It will also support members with farming and other equipment to enable them to produce, market and sell their produce from a proposed 31.6 acres of pineapple to be cultivated by the Co-operative. In addition, the Matching Grant Fund Agreement will also finance a capacity building plan to improve management, reduce chemical use, improve water management for irrigation, quality control and enhance gender equity. The Government of Belize through the RRB Programme will provide separate funding to enhance two miles of road so that the farmers can more efficiently and effectively bring their produce to market.
The Los Buenos Amigos Co-operative Society Limited was registered on 1st August 2009 and is comprised of 17 active members, including five women and three youth and operate in Trio Village, Toledo District.
Below are pictures of the event:

Ministry of Agriculture Production Statistics 2022 Validation Meeting.

Ministry of Agriculture Production Statistics 2022 Validation Meeting.
On March 10th 2022, Agriculture Producers and Stakeholders met with Technical personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture, SIB and Central Bank to review the performance of Agriculture Production 2021 and gather production projection information for 2022. The meeting was being held at the National Agriculture and Trade Show Conference Room.