Medfly programme receives assistance

The Ministry of Agriculture is the proud recipient of three Toyota vehicles. The gift is a donation from USAID and United States Department of Agriculture. The vehicles will be used to assist the Belize Agriculture Health Authority in its medfly eradication programme. Minister Dolores Balderamos Garcia received the donation on behalf of Minister of Agriculture, Dan Silva.

Dolores Balderamos Garcia

“The three Toyota vehicles that have been donated for the Ministry of Agricultures’ and BAHA’s use for the surveillance programme in the country to keep the medfly eradicated. I am very happy, on behalf of the minister and his ministry, to say that Belize is now medfly free. Not a single detection has been noted since 1998 and this is very good news. Why I say it is a win-win situation, is that papayas, citrus and other fresh produce can be exported from our country into the United States. The consumers there get good, fresh products and here in Belize it is contributing about thirty-eight million to our economy. So the purpose of the vehicles is to make sure that we monitor and keep the surveillance going, so that we don’t revert back to a position where we have to be fighting a pest that can seriously affect our export ability.”