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.

Donation of four breeding sheep to the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Food of the Republic of Guatemala

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE), in collaboration with the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) Breeding Sheep and Goat Production and Guidance System Enhancement Project, donated four breeding sheep to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of the Republic of Guatemala (MAGA) on April 29. The Dorper, Katahdin, and Barbados Black Belly sheep breeds will be used to improve the existing genetic stock at MAGA.
The donation follows a memorandum of agreement signed between MAFSE and MAGA in 2022 to advance the agricultural development of both countries in technical areas such as livestock, agro-processing, fruit trees, research, innovation, and technological transfer. This agreement has also resulted in Belize’s technical officers receiving training in various thematic areas in Guatemala and Guatemalan officers visiting Belize to offer training sessions.
The Government of Belize, and by extension, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, remains committed to regional partnerships for the growth and development of the agricultural sector. This donation also forms a wider partnership with the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) through advancing the sheep sub-sector in Belize and the region.

Food Handler Training for NATS Food Vendors

The National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) Committee hereby notifies all food vendors that they need to possess a valid Food Handler’s Certificate to be able to sell food at the NATS on April 29th and 30th.
Those who do not have a valid Food Handler’s Certificate are required to attend a Food Handler’s Training session on Thursday, April 20th, at the NATS Showgrounds Mainstage Pavilion at 2:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact:
Clifford Martinez – Coordinator, National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS)
National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) HeadquartersNATS Grounds
Belmopan, Cayo District
Telephone: 822-2648 or 623-0606
Email: nats@agriculture.gov.bz

Joint work on implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security

The Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA) is a landmark decision under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that recognizes the unique potential of agriculture in tackling climate change. The Koronivia decision addresses six interrelated topics on soils, nutrient use, water, livestock, methods for assessing adaptation, and the socio-economic and food security dimensions of climate change across the agricultural sectors. The decision resonates with FAO’s core mandate to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, reduce rural poverty, and make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable.

cop27 Koronivia

Inter-American Development Bank Technical Exchange Visit

A delegation of nine Extension Officers and Farmers have returned to Belize after attending a successful five-day Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Technical Exchange visit. The technical visit focused on capacity building and training of technicians and agro producers in Coban, Peten, and Alta Verapaz in Guatemala. The visit was made possible through the Technical Cooperation Intra, under the project Sustainable and Inclusive Belize (BL-L1041).
During the visit the delegation had the opportunity to witness the work carried out by the Cooperative Federation (FEDECOVERA, R.L.) and its associated cooperatives like the Ixcapec Industrical Plant Facilites, the Chicoj Cooperative, the Coopesejove R.L Co-operative and the Chirrepec Cooperative in Coban, Alta Verapaz.
Most of these cooperatives focus on the production and processing of cardamom, turmeric, tea, cocoa and coffee. The most interesting part of the tour was the visit made to the mountain where a group of youth and women known as the Coopesejove produce turmeric in a high mountain terrain. Other places visited included the Bioles factory and the Biotechnology Laboratory.
In Coaba, Peten, the delegation observed the work supported by the FORESCOM, a community enterprise that provides forestry services and products as well as the Silvopastoral system that is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture in Peten, Guatemala.