BELTRAIDE OFFICIAL: Belize Produces Top Notch Honey, But We Must Meet the Market Demands in Order to Begin Exporting Again

As we reported on Thursday, the Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging more Belizeans to engage in honey production and to diversify into value-added ventures like infusing honey with other condiments that can be used for minor health ailments. But because Belize has transitioned from a honey exporter to an importer over the last three decades, today we asked the Executive Director of BELTRAIDE what the prospects are for Belize to reverse our current reality and once again compete with honey producers on the global market.

Leroy Almendarez

Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE

“When you want to export your products you don’t just decide that I want to export my product. The market must want to have your product, but what makes that even easier is the fact that if you’re going to a specific market, what’s the quality, what’s the standard, what’s the quota – all of those things that I’m requiring. As far as I know, we have increased our productions of honey. The thing is if I want to export, I must make sure that whatever agreement I have in terms of a quota, whatever the quota may be, I must be able to meet that because the moment I can’t, go to some other country. And the last thing we want – and this is why I say we’re increasing production so that we can in fact export even more. But even if it means working together to get those quantities that are necessary, I believe that these incentives that are being provided by the government and additional incentives will make that easier, driving down the cost of business so that you can produce more. Our honey is really top notch. Our honey is of very high standards.”