Belizean farmers face massive drought
Most of the weather news we’ve seen over the last month had to do with hurricanes and their potential to assault Belize with high winds and torrential rains. But while many Belizeans have been focussing on catastrophic storms, the fact is that since June the nation has been in the grip of a severe drought that could cause as much economic damage as any hurricane. Last week News 5’s Janelle Chanona spent time in the Orange Walk District where she found farmers waiting for rains that, even if they came, would be too late.
David Bergen
?This corn should be green right now; it shouldn?t even be as close to dry as it is right now. It should be starting to ripe right now.?
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
It has been a rotten year for farmers like thirty-three year old David Bergen of Blue Creek. After spending thousands of dollars in fertilizer and countless man-hours in the fields, corn that should be seven feet tall by now has been dwarfed by the reality of drought.
David Bergen, Corn/Rice Farmer, Blue Creek
?We used to grow rice on this same field here, but it seems like the climate was getting drier and drier so I started to grow corn. Last year I had a decent crop so I figured with a little bit more technology we?d get a better crop this year, but because of the drought, we won?t be getting any crop this year.?
Known for their green and lush rice paddies, this year, Blue Creek?s fields are withering in the sun.
According to rice farmer Ed Reimer, this year?s wet and dry season are totally out of cycle.
Edward Reimer, Rice Farmer
?The weather has been completely abnormal. First, we got a really heavy hit of rain in April–something to the neighbourhood of twelve to fifteen inches–which stopped all land preparations for a month, month and a half. Then everybody got excited and started planting like crazy and now all those crops are basically failing because since then, it hasn?t rained.?
Janelle Chanona
?Even as rain clouds gather over the community of Blue Creek, the farmers here say different kinds of storms on the horizon threaten their overall survival in agriculture.?
Ed Reimer, Rice Farmer
?It seems like there are a few too many challenges coming all at the same time, the price of fuel has gone way up, the price of fertilizer, like thirty percent up, just the cost of staying alive obviously has gone up and the commodity prices don?t go up. They like to go down if you let them. So people are wondering, what can we do to make ends meet??
?People are unable to meet their payments, simply things like school, paying school for their children, or meeting other living expenses. But it translates into a question of whether you are going to be able to continue farming or not.?
Long regarded as one of the most successful farming communities in Belize, Blue Creek has always been on the cutting edge of agricultural technology. But now community leaders say high operational costs, lower yields and abnormal weather patterns over the last two years have forced more than thirty families to look for greener pastures outside Belize.
But some farmers are refusing to give up. At a time when they would normally be starting up the combines to harvest, they are today filling tractor bins with rice seeds, some for the third time this year.
Whether the latest attempt succeeds or fails people like David Bergen will have to explore their options for staying viable.
David Bergen
?Well I?m hoping very much there will be a next year and I?m looking at irrigation possibilities. I?ll just have to investigate more of it and find some finances somewhere; try to see if we can get some. On my own, I wouldn?t be able to make it.?
?It?s a lot of hard work involved and you got a lot of planning; borrow money every year to grow some crops and if you get a decent crop well you make enough to pay off the loan and the interest and a little bit extra. But being a farmer like this, as I mentioned before, it?s probably going to be a total loss on this field. If I get a regular crop I?ll have to have two years regular crop just to pay for these expenses for this one year.?
The drought is not isolated to Blue Creek, as farmers across Belize are feeling the heat. But for now, these people are digging their heels and praying for relief.
Ed Reimer
?We?re just trying to adapt, there?s always faith, hope for the future and I think as far as the weather goes, we know that that?s in the hand of God and we know that we?re here to see how we can do about the weather, we?re not here to complain about the weather, but we have to look forward and we obviously have to make ends meet and so the concerns are strong.?
?I think everybody is looking for a solution and I don?t think anybody has a direct direction. Obviously we can?t look at the government to change the weather, but maybe some of the conditions under which we operate, they have a solution for. Drought might be helped by an irrigation system or an initiative that might bring financing to make that feasible. I don?t know. It?s a solution I think that?s eluding us at this point and we?re looking, we?re looking for advice.?
According to meteorologist Ramon Frutos, rainfall over June, July, and August ran anywhere from thirty to sixty-five percent of normal, with some individual areas receiving even less. According to Frutos, unless the country sees some tropical waves pass this way, the dry conditions will likely persist until cold fronts begin to arrive later in the year.
