Local pork producers gear up for Christmas
Traditionally, the many hams and turkeys that grace Belizean tables at Christmas have almost always been imported from abroad. But in recent years the increased enterprise and skill of local producers, the encouragement of government, and the patriotic preferences of local consumers, have combined to make Christmas dinner a home grown Belizean affair. Yesterday on a trip west, News 5’s Marion Ali found out why.
Marion Ali, Reporting
With local meat processors producing almost half a million dollars worth of leg and picnic hams annually, the Ministry of Agriculture is no longer allowing the importation of ham legs.
Daniel Silva, Minister of Agriculture
“This year we have not issued any permits, and for the past two years we have not issued any permits. So this is something new for Belize, that we don’t import any more hams in Belize, only picnics at this stage. And we’re hoping that in the near future we will not import picnics.”
The largest supplier of locally produced hams is Running W Brand Meats. According to Managing Director, Escandar Bedran, the Belizean-made product is actually superior to imported ham.
Escandar Bedran, Managing Dir., Running W
“You’re looking at a fresh made product without all the chemicals that they use in the U.S. that we don’t have to, to colour. We don’t even have to put colour, it’s there on a natural basis and it’s there as a fresh product on the market. And that’s where we are hoping and knowing that we can beat the import on and using a local produced product rather than having to bring imported product and spending our U.S. dollars away.”
But producing quality hams starts with healthy pigs. Last week, meat processors were alarmed at reports of possible outbreak of swine fever at Caracol Farm in Cayo. A five-mile quarantine area was imposed, while health officials assessed the situation.
Dr. Victor Gongora, Dir., Animal Health, BAHA
“Confirmatory tests in Plum Island, U.S.A., are that it is negative. So we seem to not have any infection of the virus in Belize.”
Marion Ali
“Then if it is not swine fever that the pigs are dying from, what is it? What’s causing the pigs to die?”
Dr. Victor Gongora
“We have had a few deaths, it’s a big herd, three hundred thirty-five pigs in the last count. Some of those deaths can be explained normally because of the size of the herd, other stuff might be some other problem, but it doesn’t seem to be a major problem because the deaths are not a lot of them.”
Along with the quarantine, slaughtering of hogs was suspended for most of the past week. Despite this setback, which came at the busiest time of the year for producers, Bedran is confident there will be no shortage of hams for Belizean tables this Christmas.
Escandar Bedran
“All we have to do is to finish up what we didn?t slaughter on Monday and Wednesday and to catch up on that. It’s going to take up an extra weekend or work inside the plant to catch up and finish up to get it out in the market for the Christmas season.”
Reporting for News 5, Marion Ali.
The quarantine at Caracol Farm was lifted today and slaughtering of pigs has resumed. The Ministry of Agriculture has also imported fifteen head of a new breed of pigs to cross with our local varieties. The end result should be a new line of meatier animals with much less fat. This, according to Bedran, should convert to a better price for farmers and better value for consumers.
