When will Cattle Begin to be Traded with Mexico?
Dean Barrow
The trans-border trade of livestock between Belize and Guatemala remains at an indefinite standstill now that cabinet has decided to halt the informal trade that has been flourishing for decades. And despite a formal trade agreement with Mexico, cattle is yet to be exported via the Santa Elena crossing. On Monday, the Prime Minister said that the government will be exploring other options. While on the issue of cattle exportation, the PM Barrow also spoke briefly on the abrupt resignation of Chief Executive Officer Jose Alpuche, who tendered his letter of notice to the Ministry of Agriculture last week.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Mexico, with whom we’ve been trying to work for ages, according to the minister, that’s now all there except they wanting us to use just one particular corral at Blue Creek and the minister wanted for, as it were, each cattle ranch to be certified and sanitized for pickups to be done from individual cattle ranches. He’s agreed with me, we’ve agreed that we can’t wait on that. I was told that as well most of the livestock is at Shipyard and there may be some little difficulty between Shipyard and Blue Creek. I don’t know if that is true, but if it is that surely can be sorted out. The point is that there are other options, nothing will be quite as sweet to the farmers as the illegal trade because remember that nobody was paying any government official on either side of the border a dime. So, for all the reason’s I’ve outlined, it can’t continue. But we clearly have a duty to try to find alternatives and that is what the Ministry of Agriculture is making every effort to do.”
Reporter
“Are you able to speak about the resignation of the C.E.O.?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“No, except that I got the copy of the letter. I haven’t had a chance to speak to him since then, but his minister tells me that he’s still working like the Dickens to ensure that business gets done between now and when he leaves. That’s as much as I know.”
