Third meeting for the Regional National Mechanism for the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women

The third meeting for the Regional/National Mechanism for the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women (AEEMRRSICA) in the Sistema de la Integración Centro Americana (SICA) Region was hosted today. Representing the Ministry of Agriculture was the focal point for Women in Agriculture Ms. Teresita Balan.
The objective of the meeting was for countries from the SICA region (Dominican Republic, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, San Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama) to share the regional framework highlighting the strategic areas prioritized in their national plans for the implementation and operationalization of the AEEMRRSICA that supports the economic empowerment agenda for rural women pertaining to these these three sectors:
Agriculture, Fisheries and Tourism. Belize work plan was prepared in collaboration with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, Ministry of Fisheries – Blue Economy and Diaspora relations. Some of the strategic areas identified to support rural women in Belize are as follows:
Access to local, national and international markets
Access to economic resources
Social protection and employment.
Use of digital technology and information systems
Financing and access to credit
Leadership and empowerment
Capacity Building and formation
Entrepreneurship
Cooperatives
Women autonomy, equality, and health
May be an image of 8 people and text

Completion of the Agricultural Labor Technical Training Program

Twenty-nine Belizeans who attended the 90-day Agricultural Labor Technical Training Program in Colombia arrived today in Belize. The course, which initiated on April 25th, came to an end on July 18th, 2022, with a graduation ceremony held by the PANACA Foundation.
The program covering thirty full scholarships for each of the eight participating countries is a part of the project, Agricultural Technical Work Training for Rural Leaders, which aims at strengthening South-South Cooperation with the countries of the Andean Community (Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru) and some countries of the Mesoamerica Project (Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica).
The course was sponsored by the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation of Colombia (APC Colombia) and taught by specialized professionals and expert personnel who manage the production processes in the facilities of the Interactive Center for Science and Technology of the Agricultural Sector, FundaPanaca.
The Belizean delegation that graduated compromises thirteen Women and sixteen Men who received their diplomas in Technical Agricultural Labor.
May be an image of 9 people and people standing
May be an image of 12 people and people standing

Strategic Governance Retreat 2022

The Board of Directors of the Pesticides Control Board (PCB), a Statutory Board under the Ministry responsible for agriculture in Belize, is holding its Strategic Governance Retreat 2022 on the 7th and 8th July at the Dream Valley Resort in the Cayo District.
The Strategic Governance Retreat commenced with a roundtable discussion between the Board and senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise aimed at enhancing policies pertaining to pesticide regulation and sound pesticide management. Keynote remarks were delivered by the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry, Mr. Servulo Baeza.
The roundtable discussion highlighted stakeholder efforts and potential pathways for the development of a multi-sectoral approach for addressing issues in pest and disease management, the adverse effects of pesticides on human health and impacts on the environment, and the life-cycle management of pesticides; contributing toward the achievement of a sustainable food system for Belize.
May be an image of 11 people and people standing

CEO Baeza attends the second ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Agriculture SICA

29 June, 2022:
CEO Baeza attends SICA-CAC Meeting in Panama
Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise Servulo Baeza is in Panama attending the second ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Agriculture of the Central American Integration System and the Central American Agricultural Council (SICA-CAC).
The meeting which is being held from the 29th to the 30th of June is chaired by the Hon. Augusto Valderrama, Minister of Agriculture of Panama and President pro tempore of the CAC.
The meeting will include presentations by representatives from IICA, the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture; presentations from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); reports and presentations on the SICA Strategy for Rural Youth; and intersectoral meetings with representatives from Ministries of Agriculture and of Foreign Trade from member countries.

Monitoring and Evaluation of the JICA Cold Storage Project

On June 28, representatives from Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) visited Maskall Village to monitor and evaluate the JICA Cold Storage Project in that village.
The JICA Resident Representative received first hand reports from onion farmers on the storage of onions in the recently established cold storage units. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also joined the in the discussion and saw the success of the cold storage initiatives.

The project which was  donated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), comes under  the Development of Agriculture Cooperatives and the Improvement of Management Capacity. The total cost of  project is $186,000, with Government of Belize supporting 15 percent in technical assistance. The  Four 40-feet cold storage units were delivered to farmer groups in the districts of Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize and Cayo. 

Soybean Virtual Training Program

Soybean Virtual Training Program
June 28, 2022: Ministry of Agriculture technical personnel are currently attending a three-day Virtual Training Program on Soybean Cultivation. The training is facilitated by technical experts from the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP)MEXICO.
The general objective of the training is to know the technological components of soybeans; as well as the seven varieties introduced by INIFAP, with the aim of maximizing yields in Belize.
The training course will cover the scenario of soybean cultivation in Mexico and in the Yucatan Peninsula, including the different environmental factors in soybean production including technological components involved in the soybean production for yield optimization.

Government of Belize receives an Extensive Profile to Transform its Food Systems

Government of Belize receives an Extensive Profile to Transform its Food Systems
June 24, 2022: The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise is now poised to transform its food systems using an evidence-based and extensive assessment completed earlier this year.
The Belize Food Systems Profile: Catalysing the Sustainable and Inclusive Transformation of Food Systems, was the document formally handed over to the Government of Belize on Wednesday 22nd of June, during a ceremony at the Yo Creek Agriculture Station.
Honorable Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise was handed the document by Representative for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for Belize, Dr Crispim Moreira during his weeklong visit to the country.
Minister Mai remarked that the food systems assessment was very revealing, especially on the fact that Belize imports 40% of its food. He highlighted that while the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the country, the agriculture sector rebounded with a 24% increase in production that contributed to marked improvements in GDP in one year. Despite this, the food systems profile shows that there is still much more to be done. He concluded that the food system cuts across different ministries and departments and everybody has to play their role. The revealing information from the assessment sets the pace for us to focus on what we need to do over the coming years.
The Food Systems Profile is to be used to advance national dialogue on food systems and feed into policies, plans and programmes to enable more resilient and sustainable food systems development in Belize.
FAO Representative, Dr Crispim Moreira remarked during the handover ceremony that, Belize was one of 50 countries of the world that had completed the Food Systems Assessment and that it could be used to increase investment to transform the country’s food systems. He added that many of the challenges faced with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals were linked to the food system and that Belize could become an example of how by transforming the country’s food systems it could positively impact other areas of life.
The Food Systems Profile is the result of months of extensive research, interviews and consultations with various stakeholders across sectors in Belize. It was funded through a
partnership with the European Union (EU), the Food and Agriculture Organization o

Sheep Management Workshop

Sheep Management Workshop
June 22, 2022:
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 Fresh Water Creek Farms in the Stann Creek District on June 22nd, 2022.
Fifteen sheep and goat farmers from around the Stann Creek District participated in the workshop, where two Specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture (MAFSE) Mr. Andrew Mejia and Mr. Edgar Tuyud presented on topics including: ⅰ) introduction of sheep project, ⅱ) sheep health management, and ⅲ) sheep traceability system. The Taiwan ICDF specialist Mr. Eason Huang and the project’s field manager Mr. Istvan Metzger presented on topics including: i) sheep nutrition, ii) pasture establishment, and iii) supplemental feeding.
During the afternoon session, the staff of Fresh Water Creek farms demonstrated their daily sheep management activities, which fulfills the objective of the project that involves farmers teaching farmers, and included demonstrations 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.

Signing of Grant Agreements with beneficiaries of the Agri Business Technical Incubator

Signing of Grant Agreements with beneficiaries of the Agri Business Technical Incubator
21st June 2021: The Ministry of Agriculture Food Security & Enterprise in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) signed today a grant agreements with beneficiaries of the Agri Business Technical incubator grants program.
The Agri Business Technical incubator is a pilot project under Technical Cooperation Program (TCP3801) currently being implemented by the FAO in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security & Enterprise in the Cayo District, Belize.
Total investment awarded was determined by the evaluation committee based on the proposed strategy to address the key weakness. Investments between 5,000 to 15,000 BZD were considered for the award. A total of eight enterprises were supported with funding of a total budget of $59,859.83.
The incubator provides new, micro and small Agriculture based enterprises with Qualification, Training, Advisory and Consulting services to enable them to formalize and accelerate their business development process. Capacity building activities have been taking place through a virtual mechanism to deliver key technical content in 5 key areas of enterprise development.
In addition, mentorship and coaching services are available to each incubated enterprise through an assigned mentor. The Program seeks to provide investments in the form of assets to enable the enterprises to scale up and enhance their business operations. This phase involves financing proposed investments of enterprises that are undergoing the incubation process.

Acting CAO & NFNSC attends Regional Meeting of Rural Youth in the SICA region

June 16, 2022:
Acting Chief Agriculture Officer Dr. Victoriano Pascual along with National Food & Nutrition Security Coordinator Mr. Emilio Montero are currently attending a Regional Meeting of Rural Youth in the SICA region in Panama from the 16th to the 18th of June 2022.
The Regional Meeting is organized by the Secretariat of the Agricultural Council Central American (SECAC) and PROCASUR with the support from the International Agriculture Development Fund (FIDA) and the Ministry of Agricultural Development of the Republic of Panama, in the Project framework: Young Leaders of Territorial Rural Development in the SICA region.
The purpose of the Meeting is to dialogue and agree on action measures within the strategic framework 2022-2230, to promote the inclusion of rural youth according to conditions and specific priorities of the countries of the region, with a view to achieving development programmes more relevant, inclusive and sustainable rural and territorial for rural youth, leaving no one behind.
The Regional Meeting will combine sessions of discussion on different related topics and field visits and exchange of experiences with outstanding experiences of rural youth supported by the Ministry of Agricultural Development of Panama (MIDA).
The results and recommendations of the Regional Meeting will feed the Strategy of Rural Youth for the SICA Region (2022-2030) and will contribute to the definition and adequacy of the lines of action, in link with learnings and national initiatives of rural development, in force at national level and which are supposed to be transversal to the way in which aims to expand and strengthen the transformative role of rural youth in development of the agricultural, rural and territorial sector in the countries of the SICA region.