G.C.F. Approves Project Preparation Facility to Build Adaptive Capacity of Sugarcane Farmers
The sugar industry was impacted by drought conditions which led to a late start of the sugar crop this year. It put cane farmers out of pocket, but tonight there is relief in sight. That is because a million dollar investment has been approved through the Green Climate Fund to create a funding proposal which, if granted, will prepare more than five thousand farmers to better adapt to climate changes to improve their yield. Here is News Five’s Duane Moody with a report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It’s been five years in the making, but there is good news for the sugar belt in the north because the Green Climate Fund has approved a product preparation facility to build the capacity of some five thousand two hundred sugarcane farmers. With resources of about one point two million Belize dollars, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development and the Belize Sugar Industries will design an effective and efficient climate adaptation response for the success of the industry.
Ryan Zuniga
Ryan Zuniga, Project Development Specialist, CCCCC
“We got down, we started to work on the concept note and with the support of both the organization, and key to this is the Ministry of Economic Development, we were able to put together a concept note which has been approved by the G.F.C. After the concept note is approved, you then move on to the P.P.F. stage, which we just received the approval for, which is just the second step in hopefully what will be a three-step project which will be the approval of the full funding proposal.”
This second step bolsters what the B.S.I. has been doing for some time now. It will identify better agriculture farming technologies and practices, cost benefit analysis, management engagement plan and an action plan to ensure the survival of the industry, which has been affected by changing weather conditions.
Olivia Carballo Avilez
Olivia Carballo Avilez, Cane Farmers Relations Manager, B.S.I.
“The Sugar Industry of Belize here in the north is unlike many other sugar industries here in the world meaning that we have five thousand two hundred small holder clients. Of course these people are very knowledgeable on how they’ve grown sugarcane over the years, however, climate is changing and it is not only changing in a pattern; it is very erratic and we have to be able to cope with those changes. Data not only from this year, but back ten years. To look at not just weather, but the milling processes, the quality of cane, the production of cane and compare that with what we are experiencing. We did plan a crop this year based on projection that this year, we are going to have another drought. That actually did not happen. We feel that the rainy season came even earlier than expected or than a normal one. So what we need to do now is to become more agile in responding to climate situations.”
All four sugarcane farmers association in the north are already engaged by B.S.I. Cane Farmers Relations Manager, Olivia Carballo Avilez says that there are three main variables that must be considered.
Olivia Carballo Avilez
“We have to give them the tools here and we go back to three basic things. One the plant variety. In the north, we are at high risk with one type of variety being grown throughout the crop—B79 variety. And we at B.S.I. have a research facility that’s been doing research on varieties for over thirty years. So back to the basics: the variety, the crop itself. What does a plant need? It needs adequate water; too much of anything is not good so too little or too much of water—so water management and three, soils. So back to those three basic things that any farmers need: the plant, the water, the soil and of course, with the soil comes different nutrients and managing that. Along with this idea of the three basic things is managing the new pests that are arriving.”
This step of the product preparation facility will take about eighteen months after which it will be submitted once again to the G.C.F. If and when approval of the funding proposal is made, the industry will see an investment of twenty million U.S. dollars. CCCCC Project Development Specialist, Ryan Zuniga says this is about ten million dollars in grant funding and another ten million dollars from the primary stakeholders of the industry itself.
Ryan Zuniga
“What we are trying to do is to ensure that the farmers and their farming systems survive the projected and current impact of climate variability and change. By providing support for them to improve their practices and align their practices in accordance with climate responsiveness or climate responsive behaviour, we are able to support the transitional shift or as the G.C.F. refers to it, a paradigm shift of how it is that sugar cane is produced in Belize.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
