G.O.B. Must Recommit in Growing the Agriculture Sector

Eamon Courtenay

On Thursday for some seven hours, senators analyzed the 2019-2020 Budget that had been passed in the House days before. The agro-productive sector is seen as an important factor with a driving force to boost the economy. But according to P.U.P. Senator, Eamon Courtenay, the Government’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, gives little importance to this sector. During the debate, Courtenay stressed that it is time for the government to rededicate its efforts to grow the agriculture sector.

Eamon Courtenay, Lead P.U.P. Senator

“We on this side believe that there is a time and a need to recommit to serious investments in agriculture. I mean a serious commitment at the level of the small farmers. I mean a commitment in crops that people can grow, and  people can eat, that we can feed not only ourselves but the  Caribbean. Mr. President, there has to be a disconnect when our trade imbalance is increasing significantly year on year, when tourism is cut on the increase and agriculture is not contributing as much as it could. In our economy, if tourism is growing in Belize I would expect that there is an increase in the space that agriculture is occupying in our economy.”