Central Farm open day shows agricultural diversity
With tourism leading Belize’s economic charge and the prospect of oil riches on the minds of many Belizeans, we often lose sight of the fact that agriculture is still the nation’s most important economic activity. Today government’s main agricultural research facility held an open day and News Five’s Jacqueline Woods put on her overalls.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
You pass it on your way to the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, but you may not be aware of all the activities that take place on the one thousand five hundred acres that comprise Central Farm in the Cayo District. The operation encompasses livestock, crops, agricultural engineering, and agro-processing?and the work done here is felt all over the country.
Eugene Waight, Chief Agricultural Officer
?Central Farm is our main station where we do the research. We develop here different technologies in livestock and crops. We do trials in terms of looking at new varieties that are alternatives in terms of better yields, in terms of disease resistance, in terms of their tolerance to even adverse conditions, because we want varieties now that can adapt themselves to different types of climatical conditions because we have different conditions in the country. So that is one of the main reasons that Central Farm exists, to develop agriculture technologies for the farming community.?
One area of development is in rice production. Doctor Robert Shank is a rice breeding expert and a volunteer attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. He says because different varieties of rice are sensitive to changes in rainfall and other conditions, farmers should plant at least two different kinds.
Dr. Robert Shank, Volunteer, Rice Breeding Programme
?So what I am doing is that I am looking at new varieties from other areas from the U.S. and the Caribbean and Latin America and see which ones might have potential here in Belize.?
Much of the livestock you see out in pastures throughout the country are animals that have been bred at Central Farm.
Eugene Waight
?We have imported a lot these stocks from Mexico and the U.S. and we provide them as breeding stocks for farmers.?
The agriculture centre is also well-known for the healthy dairy calves it raises.
This fellow is considered to be of high quality, but it will be some time before local pork lovers will get to enjoy his meaty bacon, ribs, and chops. These pigs are the property of the Guatemalan agricultural company, Porcasa. Three years ago the company established an outlet at Central Farm after it received approval from the Government of Belize. As explained by the ministry?s Director of Research and Development, Manuel Trujillo, the operation is largely for export, but local producers will also benefit
Manuel Trujillo, Dir. of R&D, Min. of Agriculture
?The government had agreed because this will not affect the pig industry in terms of competition with the local producers because they produce for export purposes, and at the same time the local producers will benefit because they will be producing high quality breeding stock for them.?
?They have been supplying the local producers with about thirty to forty gilts and about ten boars for year. And as I mention before, with the release of this genetic stock locally to small producers in Belize, we should improve the quality of meat here in Belize.?
Central Farm is supported in its research and development programme by the Taiwanese Mission, The Belize Agriculture Health Authority, the University of Belize Faculty of Agriculture, and the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute, CARDI.
Neville McAndrew, Agronomist/Seed Technologist, CARDI
?Actually, the industries are doing fairly well. There is increase in soybean production, peanuts has been doing well, cow peas as you know, the black eye type, has moved into the status of a major export cropper for Belize.?
Central Farm greatly assists small farmers who do not have the resources to properly prepare their lands with the basic machinery needed to get the job done.
Oscar Ayuso, Head, Agricultural Engineering
?It is supposed to help them to raise their standard of living and at the same time, upgrade agriculture in Belize so that the small people could take part.?
Jacqueline Woods for News Five.
