GRUMA holds discussion with Grain Producers of Spanish Lookout

This afternoon a Mexican delegation from GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., a global enterprise with branches in Mexico, the USA and Europe, and parent company of the MASECA flour brand, met with grain producers of Spanish Lookout to discuss the prospect of producing white corn for supplying plants producing corn flour in Mexico.
This is the first exploratory meeting held with GRUMA and the grain producers of Spanish Lookout. The GRUMA executives are looking to negotiate price and planting schedules for white corn, among other things, with a view to formalize the supply of Belizean white corn to the Mexican corn flour market.
Present at the meeting were Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise Jose Abelardo Mai, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Quality Feed Mill and BEL-CAR Export and Import Co, Ltd.

Exchange Visit with two Cooperative Society

On Wednesday, 9th of November 2022, the Department of Co-operatives facilitated an exchange program with members of Western Mopan Farmers’ Co-operative of San Jose Succotz, Cayo and the Hopkins Farmers’ Co-operative. The purpose of the visit was to lend support and provide capacity building on cover structure (greenhouse) management.
Both co-operatives have been recent beneficiaries of cover structures from the UNDP-GEF-SGP/BEST/Dept. of Co-operatives ‘Co-operatives Rapid Response to COVID19 and 2020 Floods in Belize’ and have been cultivating bell peppers. Activities included evaluating the operations of Hopkins farmers and making critical recommendations to improve and strengthen their efforts. Re-organization of the irrigation system, the fitting of a string trellis, and the institution of a spray regimen were also undertaken.
The session was led by Mr. Hugo Miranda, Co-operative Education Officer and Mr. Felipe Puc, Chairman of Western Mopan Farmers Co-operative and served to also exchange information on production methods, marketing, and general best practices. Expected outcomes include increased production and improved maintenance and upkeep of the structure.

Vacancy for an Environmental Specialist & a Social Safeguard Specialist

Terms of Reference for both vacancy can be seen below:

TOR Environmental Specialist CRESAP November 2 2022

TOR Social Safeguard Specialist CRESAP November 2 2022

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT SELECTION

Belize

Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP)

Loan No.: 9347-BE

Project ID No.: P172592

Assignment Title: Administrative Assistant

Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): CS 03

The Government of Belize has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) is for a suitable qualified fulltime PROJECT STAFF- ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT as part of the Project Implementation Unit of the CRESAP within the Belize Social Investment Fund. The Administrative Assistant will be primarily responsible for the project’s general administrative and logistics activities undertaken as part of the CRESAP implementation, including safeguarding of project files.

The GOB has appointed the Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF) as the implementing agency for the project and the BSIF is seeking to recruit an individual to fill the position of Administrative Assistant.

The consultancy is expected to be for an initial period of Twenty-four (24) months commencing November 2022. The Administrative Assistant will be supervised by the Project Coordinator (PC) of the CRESAP.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained by submitting a request in writing via e-mail to nellie.trench@sifbelize.org or at the following link https://sifbelize.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TOR-Administrative-Assistant-draft-for-CRESAP-October-20-2022.pdf on the website of BSIF at www.sifbelize.org.

The Belize Social Investment Fund now invites eligible individuals (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services (such as cover letter, Curriculum Vitae etc.).

Minimum Mandatory Requirements *(Required)

Qualifications

  • An Associate degree in Arts, Business Studies, Business Administration, or any other field related to this assignment.

 General Experience

  • Three years’ experience working in public or private sector performing clerical and /or administrative functions such as making telephone calls; photocopying and/or scanning documents (max: 30 points)

*If these minimum requirements are not met, the candidates will not be considered for the process*

 Additional Requirements (Desirable)

Specific Experience

  • Experience in creating, maintaining, and/or updating files based on public sector guidelines (max: 25 points);
  • Experience in writing basic reports in MS Word, assisting with writing presentations in MS Power Point, preparing compilations done in MS Excel, scanning documents and sending via email (max: 20 points)
  • Experience with logistics, planning and scheduling of events for 10 to 20 persons, preparing travel plans (max: 15 points)
  • Experience working in a project environment (max 10 points)

Minimum total points required to be considered for the assignment is 75 points.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Selection of Individual Consultant method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours, i.e. 0800 to 1600 hours Belize Time.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by November 4, 2022 at 16:00 hours Belize Time.

Belize Social Investment Fund

Attn: Nellie Trench, Finance Coordinator

P.O. Box 459, 1902 Constitution Drive (3rd Floor), Belmopan, Belize

Telephone +501-822-0239

Email: nellie.trench@sifbelize.org

Minister Jose Abelardo Mai signs grant contract for the AMEXCID Sembrando Vida

Minister Jose Abelardo Mai signs grant contract for the AMEXCID Sembrando Vida
17th October 2022
Minister Jose Abelardo Mai signed today a grant contract for the AMEXCID Sembrando Vida. The grants signed amounts to $6 million Belize dollars to the Sembrando Vida project.
The signing took place at the Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College Conference Room in San Roman, Corozal. Representing the Mexican government as witness was Claudio Lara, Director of the Sembrando Vida project in Belize and Mr. Fred Roches, Corozal District Agriculture Coordinator.
The signing of the contract gives access for funds to be officially released, for the hiring of project extension officers, release of stipends to farmers, and obtaining agro-inputs to assist with the program.
Registration for the AMEXCID program will be carried out for 2,000 Belizean farmers in the coming weeks. The Sembrando Vida program is an initiative by the Mexican government that has been carried out in neighboring countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador with much success.
May be an image of 3 people, people standing and indoor

Bio Fertilizer Training

Two sessions were held in Yo-Creek on Bio Fertilizer to assist farmer groups in finding substitutes for fertilizers and other inputs that assist plant growth, the other session focused on soursop maintenance and propagation.
The first workshop focused on making bio-fertilizer, while the other taught farmers from Santa Martha to make bokashi, a composting method that requires only about 10 days to convert organic materials into useable material, and the nutrient value of the material is among the highest of any method of composting.
When farmers make their own bio-fertilizer from ordinary household materials, they save money in buying inputs that are imported. In today’s economy imports are sky-high in price due to factors beyond our control.
Farmers in other districts have also received training in these methods and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise continues assisting farmers in strategies to help them maximize their production and minimize costs, and to find alternative crops for domestic and export markets.
0:00 / 1:07

 

Minister Mai met with Acting Director of OIRSA

Minister Mai met with Acting Director of OIRSA

On Friday 7th of October 2022 Minister Mai met with Acting Director of OIRSA Ing Oscar Zelaya to discuss the possibility of expanding the production of bio-control organisms at the OIRSA biological control lab in Belmopan.

The discussion also included implementing traceability in products and livestock and the biological control of Diamond Back Moth in cabbage.

May be an image of 4 people, people standing and text that says 'DC IS ROWIH FARMERS HELPING AGP'

Piloting of the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP) Workshop

Piloting of the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP) Workshop
National Food & Nutrition Security Commission Coordinator Mr. Emilio Montero attended a workshop on the Piloting of the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan at the NEMO Headquarters in Belmopan.
The event had presentation of the Belize National Youth Policy & Youth Mainstream Strategy, which was presented by the Director of Youth, Mr. Kevin Cadle.
Present at the event was the Hon. Rodwell Fergusson Minister of Youth, Sport & Transport, Mr. Michael Gill M&E Specialist UNICEF, Ms. Michele Small Bartley, Deputy Programme Manager for Youth Development, CARICOM.
May be an image of 12 people, people standing and indoor

Covered Structure Management

Covered Structure Management
15 small producers attended a workshop on covered structure management at the Yo Creek Agric Station in the Orange Walk District.
The workshop is part of the Caricom Development Fund project, where covered structures are gifted to small producers, especially rural women and youth, with training to manage crops grown under the structures.
Training was carried out by Mr. Alberto Gutierrez, Extension Officer attached to the Orange Walk Agric Department specializing in horticulture and crops. The same training will be carried out in other districts.

Soursop Training for Cayo District Farmers

Soursop Training for Cayo District Farmers
21 farmers from the Cayo District are currently attending a one-day workshop at Central Farm on the Cultivation of Soursop. The training comes through the Sustainable Development of Resilient Value Chains – Implementation of CARICOM COVID-19 Agri-food Recovery Plan” Project, signed back in October of 2020.
This Agri-food Recovery Plan is a regional project involving Belize, Dominica, Guyana and St. Lucia with objectives of strengthening the technical, tacit and process capability of ministry staff to select and develop high potential national value chains and also to focus on one selected value chain per country.
Facilitator for the training is Dr. Abel Reboucas, an agronomist from Brazil who holds a doctorate from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil in Tropical Fruits with concentration in citrus, mangos, passion fruit, soursop, papaya, avocado and coconut.
The workshop comprised of both theory and practical aspects of Soursop Cultivation. Topics will include Physiology and Floral Biology of Soursop, Soursop Varieties, Climate and Soil Requirements, Propagation and Planting Density, Pruning, Nutrition and Fertilizers, Irrigation, Pest and Diseases, Fruit Bagging and Pre/Post Harvest.
The workshop will also be held for farmers in the northern and southern districts.