New Acting Chief Agriculture Officer

Notice
New Acting Chief Agriculture Officer
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise announces the retirement of former Chief Agriculture Officer Andrew Harrison from active service in the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture Food Security & Enterprise, thanks “Chief” Harrison for his many years of dedication and service and wishes him well in all his future endeavors.
At the same time Ministry announces that Dr. Victoriano Pascual, formerly Director of Water Management and Climate Change, now assumes duties as Acting Chief Agriculture Officer.

Handing Over of Seedlings

April 22, 2022:
This morning the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with IICA and the Canadian Fund for local Initiative handed over seedlings to Ms. Ivone Codd from the Ministry of Education. The seedlings are to be distributed to selected schools in the Belize District.
The seedling distribution follows an initiative by both the MAFSE and MOECYS to introduce gardening to urban schools and to assist with school feeding programs. Three is also the hope schools will include planting seedlings as part of their curriculum. Seedlings have previously been successfully grown by city schools like Stella Maris School in Belize City.

Ministry of Agriculture and Taiwan ICDF Organize Sheep Management Field Day

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise in collaboration with the Taiwan ICDF Breeding Sheep and Goat Production and Guidance System Enhancement Project (Sheep Project Phase II) held a “Sheep Management Field Day” at the farm of Mr. Leovijildo Wicab in San Felipe Village, Orange Walk, on April 22, 2022.

The event had the participation of 25 sheep and goat farmers, extension officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, the project manager and specialist from the Taiwan Technical Mission in Belize as well as other interested parties from both the Orange Walk and Corozal districts. The field day included demonstrations in forage cutting, supplemental feeding, sheep barn, record keeping, animal husbandry and mutton dishes serving.

An experienced sheep farmer, Mr. Wicab demonstrated his daily farm management activities, which fulfils an objective of the project that involves farmers teaching farmers.

The Sheep Project Phase II includes a US$3 million budget for the four-year implementation that was signed by the governments of Belize and the Republic of China (Taiwan) in March 2020. The objectives include, among others, to continue to assist Belizean farmers to further improve the quality of their sheep and goats, to conduct a market study and value chain analysis to promote consumption and market penetration for sheep and goat products, and to strengthen the sheep and goat traceability system to improve value chain efficiencies.

Ministry of Agriculture Annual General Meeting

Ministry of Agriculture Concludes AGM
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise hosted its two-day AGM at Ayin-Ha Resort in Lemonal Village. The First day event was opened by the Minister of Agriculture main address, which was then followed by presentation from the Міnіѕtrу оf Аgrісulturе Роlісу аnd Ѕtаtіѕtісѕ unit, Vеgеtаblеѕ аnd Rооt Сrорѕ, Fruіt Тrееѕ, Grаіnѕ аnd Тrаdіtіоnаlѕ, Lіvеѕtосk, Аgrо-Рrосеѕѕіng, аnd Fооd Ѕесurіtу аnd Nutrіtіоn as well other various unit from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The objective of the AGM was to present accomplishments and workplans that will guide the Ministry in its planning, activities, and initiatives. The workplans outlined the vision of the various departments and partner agencies to promote agriculture locally and to be more export-oriented under the new programmatic framework of vegetable and root crops, grains, traditional crops, and livestock, among others.

Оn Dау Тwо, thе рrеѕеntаtіоnѕ was carried on bу thе раrtnеrѕ іn dеvеlорmеnt which included thе Реѕtісіdеѕ Соntrоl Воаrd, ВАНА, thе Ѕugаr Іnduѕtrу Rеѕеаrсh аnd Dеvеlорmеnt Іnѕtіtutе, Rеѕіlіеnt Rurаl Веlіzе, thе Веlіzе Lіvеѕtосk Рrоduсеrѕ Аѕѕосіаtіоn, thе Dіrесtоrаtе fоr Іntеrnаtіоnаl Тrаdе, DFС, Веltrаіdе, аnd thе Саrіbbеаn Аgrісulturе Rеѕеаrсh аnd Dеvеlорmеnt Іnѕtіtutе followed bу thе Fооd аnd Аgrісulturе Оrgаnіzаtіоn, thе Іntеr-Аmеrісаn Іnѕtіtutе fоr Аgrісulturе Соореrаtіоn оn Аgrісulturе, ОІRЅА, the Free Zone, аnd thе Yа’ахсhé Соnѕеrvаtіоn Тruѕt.

Handing over of Bio-safety Kits

Handing over of Bio-safety Kits
On April 7, 2022: The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise handed over Biosafety kits to the Ministry of Education, which in turn handed them over to 26 primary schools countrywide. The Bio-safety kits include washbasins, dispensers, masks and hand sanitizers with a value of BZD$27,058 funded by the Mesoamerica Hunger Free Program.
“Mesoamerica Hunger Free AMEXCID-FAO” is a joint initiative of the Government of Mexico, through the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which works in coordination with institutions in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, to provide them with innovative development solutions.
Present to hand over the kits was Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise Jose Abelardo Mai, while CEO in the Ministry of Education Dian Maheia received the kits on behalf of the 26 schools countrywide that will get the kits. Also present were principals of recipient primary schools from the Orange Walk District.
The ceremony was held at August Pine Ridge Roman Catholic School in the Orange Walk District.

Belize Delegation Meets with Mexican Counterparts from Quintana Roo

Belize Delegation Meets with Mexican Counterparts from Quintana Roo
As a follow up to the Latin American Summit held in Cancun in November 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture along with the Ministry of Trade and Investment met on the 6th of April, with counterparts from Quintana Roo to discuss bilateral measures to be implemented to increase and facilitate trade between Belize and Quintana Roo, Mexico.
A Belize delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture headed by Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai, along with Chief Executive Officer Servulo Baeza; Policy Analyst Milagro Matus; CEO of the Corozal Free Zone Neri Ramirez, and Managing Director of BMDC Valentin Carrillo joined the Chief Executive Officer Narda Garcia of the Ministry of Trade and a technical team in the visit.
The places visited included a hot pepper packaging facility, a lime packaging plant and the newly constructed Chetumal Commerce and Trade Facility.
In the next two days a Mexican delegation will also be doing a counterpart visit to Belize. The facilities they will be visiting will include the Corozal Free Zone, shrimp farms and the Port of Belize.

Cooperatives Exchange Visit

The Orange Walk and Belize District Cooperative Department facilitated an exchange visit for the Nago Bank and Bomba co-operatives with Indian Church and San Carlos co-operatives.
The purpose of the exchange visit was to improved coordination and collaboration in vegetable production. The visit is a part of a series of exchanges between co-ops that the department is fostering as a way of learning by observation for the organizations involved.
The Bomba, Nago Bank and San Carlos co-operatives are all successful registered entities that produce vegetables such as onions, potatoes and carrots for the Belizean market, specifically for Belize and Orange Walk.
The Co-operative Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise makes regular visits to the co-ops and ensures they are monitored and regulated consistently.

Ribbon Cutting and Ground Breaking Ceremony held in Spanish Lookout

A ribbon cutting and Ground Breaking Ceremony was held today in Spanish Lookout. The first event was held at Western Dairies compound for the ribbon cutting of the company’s new Ultra High Temperature Processing Facility. Present for the ceremony are PM John Briceño, Minister of Agriculture Jose Mai and Area Rep Orlando Habet as well as members of the Spanish Lookout community.

The Ultra High Temperature (UHT) processing of milk refers to milk that has been processed at high temperature (at least 135°C). By rapidly heating milk to this temperature, keeping it there for a few seconds, and then quickly cooling it down, any microorganisms in the raw milk are killed off. Packaging UHT milk in aseptic containers leads to a shelf life of several months, and the milk doesn’t have to refrigerated until the package is opened. UHT milk is also referred to as long-life milk.
The new plant at Western Dairies will now be capable of producing milk with a shelf life of up to 3 months, compared to the previous 13-day shelf life product. This will also mean more deliveries from dairy farmers as the plant can process and package whatever amounts are delivered.
Western Dairies is the country’s largest producer of packaged fresh milk, cheese and other milk derived products such as ice cream. There are 6 outlets throughout the country and an outlet in Grenada in the Caribbean.
The second event was held at the Quality Feed Mill compound for the Ground breaking ceremony for Quality Feed Soybean Oil Refinery Plant in Spanish Lookout. Soybean cooking oil is a healthy alternative to shortening derived from animal fats. Quality Feed Mill has been processing soybean from 2016 and has now targeted the establishment of a plant that will be an 8 million dollar investment when finished. The plant will be able to produce up to 3.5 million liters of oil per year on completion. At present Belize imports up to 5.7 liters of vegetable oil per year, so when completed the plant will offer a viable alternative to imported products.

Thirty-seventh Session of the FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Thirty-seventh Session of the FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Minister of Agriculture the Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, along with the Chief Executive Officer Servulo Baeza and other technical officers from the Ministry of Agriculture virtually attended the Thirty-seventh Session of the FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN. The speech given by the Minister of Agriculture and the Chief Agriculture Officer, focused on the efforts to achieve better lives for farmers, women and indigenous groups and innovative practices in small-scale family farming & small & medium enterprises in the agri-food sector to achieve better production in Belize.
This year’s event is being held in Quito, Ecuador from March 28 to April 1, 2022, with the presence of the President of the host country, Guillermo Lasso and FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. The Regional Conference specifically focus on the new FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, moving towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.
The Regional Conference is held every two years and brings together the governments of the 33 Member States of FAO in Latin America and the Caribbean to establish the regional priorities of the organization for the next biennium.

Republic Of China Taiwan ICDF Banana Wilt Project Coordinator visits Belize

Republic Of China Taiwan ICDF Banana Wilt Project Coordinator visits Belize
A delegation from Republic of China (Taiwan) International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) is on a one week visit to Belize to implement a pilot project on satellite monitoring of banana plantations using state of the art technology. It is part of a regional project that Taiwan is funding in the region to strengthen the capacity of countries belonging to OIRSA, the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health, in the detection, diagnosis, and capacity building to respond to a possible threat of banana wilt caused by the fungus.
Apart from being an important export industry, banana and plantain form part of the diet of the Belizean population and their cultivation provides a source of income; thus, their well- being is a food security issue.
OIRSA has as its priority to establish regional action plans and work with national authorities to minimize or prevent the introduction and impact (social, economic and environmental) of diseases and pests in the region. In this regard, OIRSA has joined forces with ICDF ROC (Taiwan) to assist its member countries in the implementation of this project. The delegation has visited the Belize Agricultural Health Authority’s (BAHA) diagnostic laboratory, to get first- hand information on what is needed to strengthen the diagnostic capacity of the BAHA laboratory.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE) in Central Farm will be a major player in the project and will work with germ-plasm materials and training of farmers in disease surveillance and implementation of biosecurity protocols in the event that the disease gets into the country. BAHA, as the competent authority will be present for all the project implementation phases and will be the leading agency in coordinating the activities along with OIRSA.
CEO Servulo Baeza of MAFSE supports this initiative enthusiastically as part of a national mandate to safeguard the food security of Belize. The experts have met with him to discuss their work and will meet with the Banana Growers Association to fine tune the monitoring technology and to discuss the three- year project strategy for a better and more efficient implementation.
Another component of the project will be trials for agricultural and productive adaptation of the tolerant or resistant varieties of the banana wilt fungus which will go along with the biosecurity protocols for movement of genetic materials and traceability. The team has met with personnel from the University of Belize (UB) to include them in the research component and tissue culture technology of the project.