Agricultural fair honours farmers

While most visitors to the Agriculture Show grounds this weekend endured the intense heat to inspect the various booths and sample the food and drinks, the main tribute of the fair goes to Belizean farmers. As usual, three farmers from different parts of the country were awarded junior, woman and senior farmers of the year during this year’s opening ceremonies. Sixteen-year-old Efrain Cano has been working his five acres land for three years, reaping a variety of vegetables and rearing cattle and chickens. Olga Molina, a vegetable and animal farmer also cans her produce for sale under the brand Molina’s Hidden Springs. Baltazar Campos of Carmelita Village in the Orange Walk District was awarded this year’s Senior Farmer of the Year. Campos operates on forty-one acres of land, investing in sweet corn, vegetables, beef cattle and pigs. This year’s Agriculture Show was held under the theme, Agriculture: Pillar of the Belizean economy.