Belize Wants to Expand Export Market through SICA

Godwin Hulse

Coffee and citrus were also discussed at the meeting, specifically as it relates to the med-fly. But agricultural ministers are also looking at the plan of action in reference to having a standardized regional agricultural policy. This looks at the export opportunities for Belize to the Central American region. As it currently stands, Belize has a partial scope agreement with Guatemala where cattle and grains are exported to the neighbouring country.

Godwin Hulse, Minister of Agriculture

“Belize has its own agricultural policy and we are going to see how we can sync that into the regional policy. The policy will not going to be approved today—I can assure you of that—because it needs quite a bit of work from our perspective. But in launching it, it gives each member country the opportunity to inject its proposals and to see how it balance. As you know at the end of the day, there are two main and major issues: one is feeding our populations; that’s easy for Belize to do.  I always say we don’t have anybody here to feed. But also for us as an economic activity is export into the region and Central America is our backyard and our main markets and we can get there. Although we are part of CARICOM and we have been part of CARICOM for a long time, getting to Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana is a little bit of a challenge. But getting into Guatemala is just driving a truck—or Central America—so that’s a lot better and easier market for us to get into.”

Hulse says that in the six-month period that Belize has held the pro-tem presidency, he has chaired two such meetings. He now hands over the presidency to the Guatemalan Minister of Agriculture.