Review and Update the Avian Influenza Emergency Preparedness and Response Policy Plan

Representatives from the Belize Poultry Association’s Poultry Health Committee (representation from each commercial sector) are meeting this morning with technical personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture, BAHA, IICA and OIRSA to review and update the Avian Influenza Emergency Preparedness and Response Policy Plan to be prepared in the event of an incursion of Avian Influenza into Belize.
The expected outcome of the meeting is for all poultry key stakeholders and producers to agree on implementing the biosecurity practices stipulated in the comprehensive plan. The meeting is being held at Belmopan at the Quality Poultry Conference Room. Belize remains free of Avian Influenza through rigorous surveillance and strengthened biosecurity even though it has been detected in the region.
H5N1, also known as bird flu, is a highly infectious and contagious disease affecting birds and mammals inclusive of humans. It can present with high mortality, severe respiratory, nervous and digestive disease in birds. Overall, the goal is to maintain Belize free of AI by implementing the One Health approach.

Sheep Management and Lamb Culinary Workshop

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE), in collaboration with the Taiwan ICDF Breeding Sheep and Goat Production and Guidance System Enhancement Project (Sheep Project Phase II), held a Sheep Management & Lamb Culinary workshop at Paraiso Village in the Corozal District on June 7th, 2023.
Twenty-five sheep and goat farmers, butchers and restaurateurs around the Corozal District participated in the workshop, in which two officers from the Ministry of Agriculture (MAFSE), Mr. Andrew Mejia and Mr. Frank Padron, presented on topics including a sheep traceability system and lamb culinary skills. The Taiwan ICDF Project Specialist, Mr. Eason Huang, assistant technician, Mr. Ken Wu and Mr. Jimmy Hsu, and the Project’s field manager Mr. Istvan Metzger presented on topics including: i) animal nutrition, ii) animal health, iii) animal selection, and iv) silage preparation.
During the afternoon session, Mr. Ken Wu and Mr. Jimmy Hsu along with Mr. Istvan Metzger demonstrated practical skills of sheep management including i) Famacha system demonstration, ii) sheep selection exercise, and iii) body condition score practice, to farmers.
The workshop is another commitment of the Sheep Project Phase II to help local farmers in Belize. The Governments of Belize and the Republic of China (Taiwan) are committed to working together to support Belizean farmers and strengthen the sheep and goat industry within the country. Through the Sheep and Goat Project, the theoretical and practical trainings and educational outreach will further help advance the welfare of Belizean people.

MAFSE Delegation Visits Zamorano University in Honduras

A delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture is accompanying Minister Jose Abelardo Mai, on an officials visit to Honduras. The visit comes through a planning collaboration with OIRSA and the Zamoran University. The delegation will visit a cardamom cultivation facility in Cofradia, a meat processing facility and a sweet potato field in Comayagua, followed by the visit at the Zamorano University in San Pedro Sula.
The purpose of the visit is to establish working relations between the Zamorano institution and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise. The Zamorano University is a well reputed agriculture university in Central America. The delegation is expected to return back on Friday, 9th of June.
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Monitoring and Evaluation Training

A total of thirty-two participants successfully completed a five-day training course on Monitoring and Evaluation of projects. The training, which was organized by the Climate Resilience and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP) was facilitated by Dr. Andrea Pozza, an M&E expert from Italy.
Participating in the training were personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture, DFC, LICU, PCB, MED, CARDI, SIRDI, FAO, BLPA, Agro-Met Service, IICA and BMDC. Participants are now expected to be able to improve their knowledge of M&E and adopt the key tools provided in the training. This will enhance monitoring of progress in projects particularly of the CRESAP project, a BZD 50 million project set to benefit 7,000 Belizean households. Other training activities are scheduled for the future.

MAFSE Annual General Meeting

The Ministry of Agriculture successfully completed today its two day Annual General Meeting held at Sandy Beach Women’s Co-operative in Hopkins Village, Stann Creek.
The first day focused on presentations that show cased the achievements, challenges and future plans from the various units in the Agriculture, and Cooperative Department.
The second day focused on presentations from various organizations and Partners in Development on the collaboration and the important role they play in the Agriculture Sector.
The event finalized with panel discussions that had participation from financial institutions, agriculture enterprises and environmental NGO’s.
The recommendations provided will serve as a guide to work on the weaknesses and chart a way forward for the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise also appreciates the partnership with BMDC, OIRSA and Samsung/ Cellular World for the AGM. Thanks for supporting agriculture.

Belize Dairy Association Annual General Meeting

The Belize Dairy Association conducted their 2nd Annual General Meeting in Spanish Lookout.
The Guest Speaker at the event was Dr. Lennox Gladden, who highlighted the adaptation measures of sustainable dairy production systems.
Mr. Belarmino Esquivel, Principal Agriculture Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise elaborated on the Dairy Strategy 2022 – 2023.
A report on dairy genetic development was imparted by Mr. Frank Friessen. The Dairy Association committed to continue strengthening dairy data management and improving the genetic development through innovation and technology transfer in reproductive technology.
Other commitments agreed to included the adaptation and mitigation to climate change, implementation of tarriffs on imported dairy products, improved nutrition and animal health including traceability.

Open day at El Centro Experimental del INIFAP in Chetumal

An open day was held today at El Centro Experimental del INIFAP in Chetumal to display results of varietal trails done in Belize with soybeans and coconut. The purpose of the event was to share the results of the technical cooperation agreement between Belize and Mexico.
The objective of the agreement is to increase the productivity of soybean, soursop, coconut and pitahaya crops through the sharing of experiences, transfer of technology and building technical capacities.
A total of twenty-one capacity building events were held for farmers and technicians. The training covered courses, demonstrations and participatory workshops to strengthen the technical capacities of 593 producers and technicians.
Present at the event were Minister Jose Abelardo Mai, CEO Servulo Baeza, Mr. Hugh O’ Brien, farmers from Belize, Technical Officers from MAFSE, INIFAP Director General Dr. Luis Angel Rodriguez del Bosque and other invited guests.

Livestock Farmers exchange visit to Peten

Fifteen dairy farmers from Shipyard and Spanish Lookout are currently on a 2-day exchange visit in Peten. The exchange visit comes through a follow up meeting held between the livestock technical officers of MAGA Peten, Western Dairies and the Ministry of Agriculture.
The objective is to exchange ideas, technology and innovation in the area of breeding (genetics) nutrition, agroprocessing, and animal husbandry.
This activity is in line with the Ministerial memorandum of agreement signed in 2022 between Hon. Jose Mai and Vice Minister Elmer Oliva Pacheco of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Guatemala, Peten.

Handing over of the project BELIZE RESILIENT SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM to the Ministry of Education

Today the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Enterprise handed over the project: BELIZE RESILIENT SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM to the Ministry of Education. The project comes under the sub – project MEXICO-CARICOM-FAO INITIATIVE: – “COOPERATION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE IN THE CARIBBEAN”.
The school feeding programmes in the Caribbean, as elsewhere, have long been established and recognized as an important instrument in facilitating learning, especially for poor and vulnerable school children.
The Government of Belize under the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise along with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology embraced the Belize Healthy Start School Feeding Initiative stipulated in #plan Belize manifesto – a promise that the government made to the Belizean people.
Under the technical cooperation with FAO, this bilateral program contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)., in particular to SDGs No. 1, 2, 3, and 4; Respectively being, NO POVERTY, ZERO HUNGER, GOOD HEALTH & WELL BEING AND QUALITY EDUCATION.
With the aid from the Mexican Government, through the Mexican International Development Cooperation Agency (AMEXCID), and with technical support from the FAO, the project seeks to strengthen institutional plans for achieving food and nutrition security and providing support for individual smallholder farmers and or family farming.
The Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed a methodology to provide both technical and financial assistance to countries interested in improving their National School Feeding Programs.
Each of the beneficiary schools has received a covered structure with raised beds and seedlings of different varieties. Planting is also in progress. The schools will also be receiving trainings on how to manage their gardens. The trainings are also coming up for small farmers and cooperatives, with the goal of connecting these farmers to school feeding programs, so that the produce can be sold directly to schools.
The school feeding menu consists of a majority of locally grown items. School cooks and administrations have been provided with menu planning tools, allowing them to predict their need for products and be able to order from producers.
Finally, the project aims to connect local cooperatives and farmers directly with schools, establishing a mutual beneficial relationship.
Present at the event was Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Education, Minister of National Security, Chief of Mission-Mexico, FAO Representatives and other invited Guests.

Completion of a two week training on Empowering women and Youth in Agroprocessing and Value adding

Twenty-seven food processors were successfully certified and awarded today for completing a two-week training program.
The training program, which was funded by the Republic of China, Taiwan, was facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture Agroprocessing Unit under the project Empowering Women and Youth to Generate Income through Agroprocessing and Value Addition of Locally Grown Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables Project”.
Food processors will now be able to standardize and used their knowledge to upgrade their product to another level. This training seeks to address several issues in Plan Belize such as
• reducing imports
• expanding exports
• reducing food losses
• strengthen food security.
• promoting health living
• linking agriculture with tourism
• capacity building for women and youth to become positive contributors to the development of the economy.
The twenty-seven participants who received the training are from across the country mainly women and youths. The group received capacity building in product development and value addition in the safe processing of salsa casera, pickled jalapeno, pineapple preserve, and pineapple jam.
The objective of the training was to Improve the productive and technical skills of youth and women for improved livelihood in the agro-productive sector. As well support the increase of locally produced commodities, supply growing national demand for processed food and beverages and to mitigate against increased cost of imported value-added products and replace and substitute imports, expand exports, and strengthen the linkages between agriculture and the tourism sector.
Collaborators for this training was the Ministry of Agriculture Agro-processing Unit, Ministry of Health Public Health Department, Belize Marketing Development Cooperation, Belize Bureau of Standards.