Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Visited Villages affected by Flooding

On Thursday, November 19^th, 2020, the Prime Minister Hon. John Briceno, and Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise visited Maypen Village in the Belize District to get a firsthand look at the situation involving cattle rescue due to flooding.

Maypen is a settlement that lies off the Philip Goldson Highway, approximately 27 miles outside Belize City. Residents of the area are involved in cattle ranching which has been impacted by the recent rains and the rising Belize River. Cattle in the area have become stranded and are in danger of drowning.

Minister Mai was apprised of the situation at a meeting during his familiarization tour. Quick action on the Minister’s part led to collaboration with the Belize Livestock Producers Association (BLPA), Banana Bank Lodge, Caribbean Tires, and Mennonite ranchers from the villages of Blue Creek and Shipyard, who provided boats and trailers to help rescue the stranded animals. Of the approximately 300 heads of stranded cattle, 60 have already been rescued.

The Prime Minister and Minister Mai visited the area where they spoke with ranchers and got a first-hand look at the rescue efforts. Prime Minister Briceño and Hon. Mai praised the efforts of all involved, especially the BLPA and ranchers from Blue Creek and Shipyard, who came from afar to support the rescue efforts.

  Accompanied by area representative for Belize Rural North, Hon. Marconi Leal, the Prime Minister and Minister Mai also visited Crooked Tree to get a look at the flooding and spoke to affected residents. The causeway is underwater and several families in the village have been evacuated to shelters.

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Minister of Agriculture Visited the Toledo District School Gardens

The Minister of Agriculture visited various school Gardens in the Toledo District. The tour allowed the Minister to get a first-hand impression of the operations and standards of the school gardens. Over the past years, the Ministry of Agriculture has been supporting school garden programs by providing training for teachers and students on the operation of gardens, technical assistance, and inputs as well as additional support.

The Minister of Agriculture Senator the Hon. Godwin Hulse has embarked on a National School Garden Tour from February through March 2020.

 The purpose of the tour is to allow the Minister to get a first-hand impression of the operations and standards of the school gardens.

 Over the past years, the Ministry of Agriculture has been supporting school garden programs by providing training for teachers and students on the operation of gardens, technical assistance and inputs as well as additional support.

 The Minister is being accompanied by personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Completion Ceremony of the Genetic Improvement in Sheep and Goat Project

The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government of Belize jointly announce the successful completion of “The Genetic Improvement in Sheep and Goat Project” (The Sheep Project). A ceremony to mark the completion of the project was held on November 28, 2019, at the National Agricultural Show Grounds in Belmopan.

At the ceremony, the numerous accomplishments of the Sheep Project were highlighted. The greatest impact has been seen at the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Center (known as the sheep barn) which is jointly operated under improved management conditions by the Sheep Project and is producing a diverse genetic stock of quality sheep. The barn infrastructure of a 400-sheep capacity was successfully developed with all of its related components of five manure conveyor sets and an elevator, as well as other infrastructure to enhance the operation and management of the sheep. Of critical importance is the introduction of quality sheep genetics of three popular breeds, namely Dorper, Barbados Blackbelly and Katahdin, successfully imported from the United States which are being managed at the breeding center for genetic improvement of sheep in the country. Several workshops were also held under the Sheep Project to help raise the professional knowledge of sheep producers countrywide.

The ceremony not only marked a historical milestone in the small ruminant industry but also the strong ties between the two countries. Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize, H.E. Remus Li-Kuo Chen shared with the participants that the draft agreement for the second phase of the Sheep Project, which will focus on the cooperation in breeding sheep and goat production and guidance system enhancement, has been presented to the Ministry of Agriculture. It will continue to strengthen the value-added production and market linkage in the sheep industry through the cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture.

There were approximately 100 persons in attendance at the ceremony, including representatives from the Embassy of Taiwan, Ministry of Agriculture, technical officers from Belize Livestock Producers Association, OIRSA, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, and sheep farmers. The Sheep Project started four years ago after the signing of an agreement between the Government of Belize and the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in December 2015.

Pictures of the event:

Launching of the Honey Production Redevelopment Support Project and Covered Structures – Support to Small Disadvantaged Farmers

On Tuesday 3rd of December 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Fund (CDF) hosted the official launching of the Honey Production Redevelopment Support Project” and “Covered Structures – Support to Small Disadvantaged Farmers”.

The Ministry of Agriculture has identified beekeeping and vegetable production under protected covered structures as priority areas for development due to their high potential for enterprise development, economic opportunities for rural communities and their eco-friendly nature which coincides with the Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy GSDS (2015-2020) which calls for new and emerging sustainable ventures with good economic prospects.

The “Honey Production Redevelopment Support Project” formulated and funded in collaboration with Caribbean Development Fund (CDF) has come at an opportune time to support various beekeeping initiatives which will focus on capacity building and training of beekeepers and local personnel, establishment of demo apiaries, organization and infrastructural support with equipment and materials to undoubtedly enhance the industry.

The project main objectives are to:

· increase rural livelihoods options through beekeeping especially among women and youth;

· increase national production and productivity of beekeeping, and to increase the quality of honey and honey products through the promotion of standards and good operating practices.

The second project on covered structure funded also by the Caribbean Development Fund (CDF) which spans over two years’ aim is to continue enhancing the capacity and capability of our producers in covered structure technology for vegetable production. The completed thirty structures will cover an area of 27,000 square feet or 0.62 acres. The project will ensure the participation of women, youths, indigenous people and/or other disadvantaged groups.

The project main objectives are to:

· Increase the efficiency of vegetable production under covered structures by improving the construction, design and irrigation systems of at least 30 structures by the end of 2021.

· Increase capacity building of extension personnel and farmers involved in the production of vegetables under covered structures by hosting at least 2 workshops for at least 10 extension personnel and 50 farmers.

Pictures of the event:

Workshop on Coconut Production

November 25, 2019, The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Mexican counterpart – SAGARP through the Mexican National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Fisheries (INIFAP) concluded its three days training workshop on Friday November 22nd, on Capacity Building for the Improvement of Coconut Production and its Uses, at the Central Farm Station.

The three days’ workshop which covered a wide range of technical training materials was attended by coconut producers, technical personnel from Central Farm Station, Extensions Officers and representatives from the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).

Facilitators for the training were Dr. Feliciano Gerardo Balderas from the State of Nayarit and Ms. Matilde Cortazar Rios from the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico. At the end of the day, the presentation of a certificate was issued to all participants who completed the training.

12th Regional Planners Forum and the 81st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED)

30/9/19: Belize City. The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with CARICOM Secretariat hosted the 12^th Regional Planners Forum and the 81^st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Agriculture on September 30^th to October 4^th 2019, at the Belize Best Biltmore Plaza, Belize City.

The Regional Planners Forum was being hosted under the theme “Capitalizing on the New Frontier in Global Agriculture” which seeks to take advantage of new opportunities emerging in agriculture globally. The Regional Planners Forum has been an integral part of the regional agriculture planning and development since its inception.  The main objective of the Planner’s Forum was to provide a neutral platform for stakeholders to advance the discussion and build cooperation on matters of importance to regional agriculture enhancement.  Therefore, providing an opportunity to agree on directions and contribute to the development of policies and programs that capitalized on opportunities while addressing existing, imminent and emerging challenges.

This year’s forum offered an opportunity for Member States (MS) and development partners in the Region, to take stock of their collective efforts to promote sustainable agricultural development and the challenges in meeting these goals over the last decade. The Planners Forum played a critical role in furthering the Regional dialogue on agriculture.  Moreover, it was the single most important opportunity to convene key agriculture development leaders in the region to explore emerging sustainable, market-led agricultural initiatives, that are of critical importance at the national and regional levels. The Forum provided opportunities to identify approaches to combat climate change, explore climate financing in agriculture, and disaster risk reduction and building sector resilience. The general direction is one that focuses on strengthening climate change adaptation in agriculture, promoting trade through food safety and standards and creating nutritionally relevant food systems in CARICOM. The sub-themes for the Forum are further disaggregated as follows:

• CARICOM Regional Agricultural Policy in Action
• Capitalizing on Wealth Creation in Agri-Business
• Propelling ICT and Innovation in Agriculture
• Emerging Opportunities in Agribusiness

The week of activities included the hosting of the other regional bodies liked:

• The 81^st Special Meeting of COTED(Agriculture)
• The 7th CARICOM Sugar Stakeholder Meeting
• CARDI Board of Governors Meeting
• CAHFSA Board Meeting and
• CRFM Ministerial Meeting

At the core of the forum, the intent was to build strong local, regional and hemispheric partnerships, incorporating innovative approaches and fostering inclusive development, to offer enhancement opportunities to the region.