Belize to Import Cabbage to Meet Demands

Valley of Peace Farmers are also having a difficult year. First, the drought devastated their crops and now heavy rains have damaged sixty percent of their cabbage plantation. More than one hundred and sixty thousand heads of cabbage were destroyed.  This, C.E.O. Jose Alpuche says, will affect the availability of locally grown cabbage. Alpuche says that cabbage will now have to be imported from Mexico to meet demands.

Jose Alpuche, C.E.O., Ministry of Food and Agriculture

“I understand from our technical team that the damages are not total in the sense that I expect especially the Valley of Peace farmers they will experience somewhere in the range of about sixty percent loss. That is a bit of cold comfort because they have been having a difficult year. First eh drought and now the rains. We are in dialogue with the farmers; our technical people have been in dialogue with them to look at the damage assessment.”

Jose Alpuche

Hipolito Novelo

“What is the monetary value of sixty percent?”

Jose Alpuche

“Again, I don’t want to comment on that because it is not a complete event as yet.”

Hipolito Novelo

“What is the forecast in terms of the Valley of Peace situation and their cabbage affecting the local market?”

Jose Alpuche

“It is most likely that we will have to import some of those products from neighbouring Mexico more than likely.”

Hipolito Novelo

“How much would you say?”

Jose Alpuche

“Well cabbage is seasonal in the sense that the market as I understand is usually about eighty thousand pounds per week. At the moment we are already seeing a decline so we will have to import.”

Hipolito Novelo

“And that would mean that the consumers will pay more?”

Jose Alpuche

“Well what has happened is that the prices for vegetables all around have actually gone up. So if we are sourcing it in Mexico has taken the price up a bit. The price should remain hopefully neutral as it relates to what is being imported.”