Europe will open to Belizean shrimp

Shrimp, the product that will likely take over as Belize’s biggest export, is about to gain some new markets. According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade, thanks to a concerted effort by the Shrimp Farmers Association, BAHA, and the Belize Embassy in Brussels, Belize will soon be granted a List One classification for shrimp exports to the European Union. Belizean shrimp currently enjoys wide acceptance on the U.S. market, but the opening of the soon-to-expand E.U. will provide a much-needed alternative source of buyers. Projections are for farmed shrimp exports to reach one hundred million Belize dollars for 2003.