Council of Ministers of the CAC meets in Costa Rica to Review Progress on the Regional Action Plan

September 23, 2022:
With the participation of ministers, deputy ministers and duly accredited representatives of the 8 countries that are part of SICA, the ordinary session of the Central American Agricultural Council, CAC was held in San José, Costa Rica, in order to review progress in the implementation of regional actions to strengthen the Agricultural Sector. Representing the Ministry was Dr. Victoriano Pascual.
The session was chaired by Vice Minister Darío Vargas of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic, current holding pro-tempore presidency of the CAC, and with participation of the Secretary General of SICA, Werner Vargas, the Deputy Director General and regional representative of FAO for Latin America, Mario Lubetkin, and the presence of the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero.
Otero reiterated the support and accompaniment that IICA provides to the CAC to strengthen the sector “We believe in regional integration, this region is key to the future of the continent, that is why IICA will support SECAC and Central American regional policy,” declared.
Lucrecia Rodríguez, Executive Secretary of the CAC, explained that among the issues discussed at the meeting, she highlighted good practices in the use of biofertilizers, the availability of fertilizer inputs, and the viability of a regional program for joint negotiation for the purchase of fertilizers. In this space, Secretary General Vargas participated together with Pilar Alfredo Lagos from SE-COMISCA SICA and Olga del Pino, from the Spain-SICA Fund, presenting the regional experience in the mechanisms of negotiation and joint purchase of medicines and medical supplies. In this regard, the Council of Ministers agreed to request support from both instances to design a similar mechanism for joint purchases of fertilizers and agricultural inputs.
For his part, Julián Carrazón, Regional Agriculture Officer of the FAO Erick Quirós, regional coordinator and representative of IICA in El Salvador, gave the participants a summary of the advances in scalability and opportunities in the SICA region.
Likewise, a report was provided by the SECAC with the progress of the preparatory actions that the regional agricultural sector, together with the environment sector, are carrying out for the next COP27 conference to be held in Egypt in November 2022.
At the conclusion of the meeting, a cooperation agreement was signed between Catholic Relief Services and SECAC to strengthen technical cooperation between the two entities on issues of rural development, family farming, rural women and youth, and climate change.

Beekeeping Workshop in Peten

Extension Officer from the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Miguel Huertas and Mr. Jesse Madrid, were both on a 2-day field visit to Peten, Guatemala, where they were on a regional exchange visit to the Sierra Lancandon National Park and the beekeeping co-operatives in the area.
This event is intended to address issues that help strengthen competencies among groups of beekeepers in the Selva Maya region, sharing beekeeping techniques and other topics such as organic beekeeping management, traceability, marketing, added value of honey and its derivative products. Participants will visit a beekeeping school and a beekeeping co-operative during their visit.
The visit was organized and coordinated by the Selva Maya project “Strengthening of Regional Strategic and Operational Cooperation for the Protection of the Selva Maya” implemented by the German Development Cooperation – GIZ and its national counterparts such as the Forest Department in Belize, CONANP, in Mexico and CONAP in Guatemala.
Attending event were also beekeepers from Orange Walk, Cayo District and Dr. Jennie Garcia Saqui, National Coordinator GIZ Selva Maya Belize Component.

Sheep Management 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 Workshop” at the Copal tree resort / sheep farm in the Toledo District on Wednesday September 28th, 2022.
Some thirty (30) sheep and goat farmers, restaurant and resort owners from around the Toledo District participated in the workshop that included presentations on topics such as: ⅰ) introduction of sheep project, ⅱ) sheep health management, ⅲ) sheep traceability system iv) sheep nutrition, v) pasture establishment, vi) supplemental feeding and lamb preparation demonstration.
During the afternoon session, the staff of Copal tree resort / sheep farm and Sheep Project’s field manager Mr. Istvan Metzger demonstrated the daily management activities of sheep farming, fulfilling the objective of the project that includes farmers teaching farmers, and demonstrating on sheep feeding, sheep breeds, and vitamin application.
The workshop is another commitment of the Sheep Project Phase II to help farmers learn from farmers. The Sheep and Goat Project includes a budget of US$3 million for a four-year implementation of phase II, that was signed by the Governments of Belize and the Republic of China (Taiwan) in March 2020. The project’s objectives include assisting Belizean farmers in improving the quality of sheep and goats, promoting the domestic consumption of sheep and goat products and to export these products regionally, and strengthening the sheep and goat traceability system to improve value chain efficiencies in Belize.

Agriculture Data Collection for Green House Gases (GHG) Inventory Workshop

Agriculture Data Collection for Green House Gases (GHG) Inventory Workshop
Technical Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture attended a one-day workshop on Agriculture Data Collection for Green House Gases (GHG) Inventory.
The workshop is being hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and facilitated by National Liaison Consultant Kathya Castaneda and Technical Coordinator Mr. Willie Chan.
The training will cover the following topics:
Agriculture’s contribution to GHG emissions
Reducing emissions from agriculture
Benefits of farming with reduced emissions
Data Collection process and
Agriculture emission estimates data requirements
Attending the workshop are also technical personnel from BLPA, CARDI, Cooperative Department, SIRDI, YAXCHE, BGA, CPBL and UB.

Behavior of Conventional INIFAP Soybean Varieties Field Day

The Ministry of Agriculture hosted an activity on “Behavior of Conventional INIFAP Soybean Varieties in Belize”. The purpose of the event was to share the experience in planting the varieties of soybean being piloted in Belize by INIFAP, the Mexican National Institute for Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research. Four pilot plots with different varieties of soybean were planted in San Carlos, Little Belize, Central Farm and at the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute at Buena Vista, Corozal.
The soybean research plots have come about as a collaborative effort on the part of the Mexican Secretaria de Agricultura and the Belize Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, following a bilateral agreement between both governments to work together in different areas. Soybean is the first of several commodities where Mexico and Belize will cooperate in research aimed at benefitting both countries.
The aim of the event was to share information especially with farmers and producers. The event was attended by 30 local farmers and technical staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise. The event was facilitated by Dr. Mirna Hernandez and Mr. Jesus Soto, both INIFAP researchers, and Ms. Ina Sanchez, Manager of the Central Farm Research and Innovation Center.
Another event involving high level officials from both Mexican and Belizean agriculture ministries will take place on 13 October.

Minister Mai Concludes Visit to Peten

Minister of Agriculture Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai was on a two-day technical visit to the Department of Peten. The purpose of the visit is to discuss technical collaboration between both countries. The discussion focused on areas of technical Cooperation for fruit trees, agro-processing and sustainable livestock development. Present at the discussion was Mr. Elmer Oliva Pacheco Vice Minister in Charge of Affairs in Petén and the Departmental Governor Mr. Luis Rodolfo Burgos Segura.
Traveling with him is Chief Executive Officer Mr. Servulo Baeza; OIRSA Country Representative, Mr. Fermin Blanco; Chief Agriculture Officer, Dr. Victoriano Pascual and other technical officers from the Ministry of Agriculture.
On the second day the entourage visited the Peten Fruit Tree Nursery, Livestock Production facilities and the Tilapia Hatchery.
May be an image of 6 people, people sitting and people standing

GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE

CLIMATE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT

AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECTOR
GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICEL

Loan No: 9347-BE

Project ID No.: P172592

The Government of Belize has received financing in the amount of US$ 25,000,000 equivalent,
from the World Bank toward the cost of the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture
Project, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, works (if
necessary), non-consulting services and consulting services to be procured under this project.
This project will be jointly financed by Local Beneficiaries and Unguaranteed Commercial
Financing.
The project will include the following components:
Part 1: Institutional Strengthening: focuses on strengthening the capacity of key public
institutions (government agencies and academic organizations) to support a more productive
and sustainable agricultural sector. The component will finance goods, small works,
equipment, studies, training, consulting, and advisory services.
Part 2: Investments in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA): strengthening the capacity of
farmers and participating financial intermediaries engaging in climate-smart agricultural
investments under the Project, as to be able to take advantage of the provision of financing to
farmers (matching grants and loans from PFIs) to adopt CSA technologies and practices, and
increasing their productivity, levels of income and resiliency to climate change and weather
events.
Part 3: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation: finance incremental and operating
costs, goods and equipment for the Project Implementation Unit (PIU)
Part 4: Contingent Emergency Response: contingent financing mechanism which will permit
Belize rapid access to World Bank support in the event of an eligible crisis or emergency.
The following processes are intended to be procured through international competitive procurement:

BSIF-General-Procurement-Notice

MOU Signing between the Toledo Coconut Growers Cooperative Society and MAFSE

MOU Signing between the Toledo Coconut Growers Cooperative Society and MAFSE
A ceremony was held this morning for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Toledo Coconut Growers Cooperative Society and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE) for the use of the Ministry grounds and facilities located in the Dump community in the Toledo District.
The Toledo Coconut Growers Cooperative Society is composed of 24 members who have been registered since December, 2021.
Present at the event were Minister of Agriculture Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government Hon. Oscar Requena, CEO of MAFSE Servulo Baeza, Registrar of Cooperatives Gareth Murillo, National Coordinator at GEF Small Grants Program UNDP Leonel Requena, Members of the Toledo Coconut Growers Cooperative and Technical Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Cooperatives Department and Resilient Rural Belize.

Handing over of Sewing Machines

Handing over of Sewing Machines
Ten sewing machines were handed over today to the Santa Cruz Hibiscus Mayan Art and Crafts Cooperative in the Toledo District. The event was made successful through the project, Cooperatives’ Rapid Response to COVID 19 and the 2020 floods in Belize.
The co-operative, whose members are made of only women, is involved in handmade arts and craft products such as basket, cuxtal, earrings, bracelets, embroidery and the sewing of traditional clothes.
To commemorate today’s event three trees were planted as a symbol of reducing the impact of Climate Change.
Present at the handing over were Minister of Agriculture Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai; Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Local Government Hon. Oscar Requena; Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Servulo Baeza; Chief Agriculture Officer, Dr. Victoriano Pascual; Registrar of Cooperatives Gareth Murillo; Ag. Managing Director of the Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology, Mrs. Michelle Longsworth; National Coordinator at GEF Small Grants Program UNDP, Mr. Leonel Requena; members of the Hibiscus Mayan Art and Crafts Cooperative, technical officers of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Cooperatives, and Resilient Rural Belize.

Handing over of a Water Catchment System

Handing over of a water catchment system
A ceremony was held today for the inauguration and handing over of a water catchment system for Los Pequenos Agricultores y Ganaderos de Nago Bank Cooperative.
The event, which took place at the Nago Bank Community in the Belize District, comes through a call for project proposals from the United Nations Development Project’s Global Environment Fund Small Grants program in the late 2020, where the Department of Cooperatives conceived a partnership with the Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology (BEST).
The water catchment system, which is valued at a total of BZE $9000 is designed to assist the cooperative in making investments to enable their members to adapt and be more resilient to climate change.
After the signing, two mahogany trees were planted as a symbol of reducing the impact of Climate Change, which was then followed by the handing over of a Hundred and Twenty Five vegetable cases to the Chairman of the Cooperative by Resilient Rural Belize Officer Mr. Joe Lisbey.
Present at the event were Minister of Agriculture Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Area Representative for Belize Rural North Hon. Marconi Leal, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Servulo Baeza, Registrar of Cooperatives Mr. Gareth Murillo, Ag. Managing Director of the Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology Mrs. Michelle Longsworth , National Coordinator at GEF Small Grants Program UNDP Mr. Leonel Requena, Members of the Pequenos Agricultores y Ganaderos de Nago Bank Cooperative and Technical Officers of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Cooperatives and from Resilient Rural Belize.