O.W. farmers diversify to make big bucks
Food fairs might seem like just the place to get bargains on everything from food to health remedies. But as News 5’s Jacqueline Woods found out in Orange Walk today, these kinds of events are previews of coming attractions in the business world.
Jacqueline Woods
“This exhibition is really an eye opener because it gives you a pretty good idea of what exactly is going on in the North and that it is not only sugar cane that is grown here.
Johnny Briceño, Area Rep. O.W. Central
“Well, I’ve always been arguing with the Minister of Agriculture over that, that Orange Walk is considered the bread basket of Belize. We are the leaders in poultry, pigs, cattle, corn, peppers; there’s so many things that we produce. Agriculture continues to play an important role, yes, the sugar industry has overshadowed the rest of the activity that we have, but now that the sugar industry is in crisis, the sugar prices are at an all time low, our farmers are looking at other alternatives.”
The farmers, including several women’s groups, are learning how to turn the excess food that they produce into money making ventures.
Francisco Xui, District Agriculture Coordinator
“Especially when it comes to canned products. We have bottled tomatoes, we have pickled cucumbers, jams, jellies, sauces, even meat products, we have some sausages and some bacon, smoked ham and all that.”
This is the first food fair held in Orange Walk Town. The event was hosted at the Banquitas House of Culture and designed to tap into the tourism industry.
Sergio Garcia, C.E.O., Min. of Health
“Here what we are trying to demonstrate to people is that small persons, local producers can value add on a local level and link it to the tourism industry and we can make more money for everybody.”
Jacqueline Woods
“For the moment, where have they been selling their produce?”
Sergio Garcia
“Well, we have been marketing most of the products through the Belize Marketing Board. But also, we have local processors here that nobody knows about, like the Rio Azul Meats, which is from Blue Creek. We also have some organised women’s groups that are doing pastries.”
Sergio Garcia, the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, says statistics show that the Northern District produces most of the country’s commodities.
Sergio Garcia
“The north produces the most red kidney beans, the most livestock in terms of pigs and cattle. They produce a fair, they are about the second largest producer of grains, corn, and they are number one in a couple other commodities, onions, potatoes they are second. Hot peppers they are number one also. So I think that the region is diversifying, I think farmers are looking for other alternative other than sugarcane, and they are the number one producers of soybean also.”
Area Representative, Johnny Briceño encourages small farmers to start thinking of agriculture as a business.
Johnny Briceño
“The issue we are trying to show to our farmers is that if you think differently…look at your products, how is it that you can add value to it? By adding value, you can make more money. Agriculture has played an important role in the development of this country and it will continue to do so. Unless we can continue encouraging our farmers to remain on the ground, to toil the soil, we are going to have social problems. Look at what’s happening in Belize City, especially in the south part, where we have so many issues with gangs and robberies and so forth. It’s because they have no economic opportunities. Agriculture has acted as a safety valve in every developing country. We need to continue to encourage our farmers, show them how it is that they can make money.”
Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
Briceño says there are plans to use a part of the Banquitas House of Culture to sell locally produced products to tourists and visitors to the building.
