Financial Assistance is Never too Late for Farmers

Godwin Hulse

Minister Hulse breaks down how the funds will be disbursed based on the constriction of the agriculture sector due to COVID-19.  The Belize Agriculture Information Management System is the database used to interface with eligible farmers.

Godwin Hulse, Minister of Agriculture

“These are significant funds that will be injected into the agriculture sector.  This is the first tranche of course, this sixteen million.  The way this will be divided is as follows: for market contraction, and that is exactly what it says because we had reduced sales due to no tourists coming, in many cases reduced exports, et cetera.  So the market contracted, no fault of the farmers, no fault of any of us.  Poultry, dairy, vegetables, namely cabbage, melons, onions, potatoes, sweet corn, sweet pepper and tomatoes.  Cattle,… in the agriculture value chain were taken into consideration and an allocation of seven million, three hundred and forty-nine thousand, seven hundred and ninety-eight dollars was designated for these.  Farmers across the country registered in the BAIMS program will qualify for support, that’s for market contraction.  For drought, as I’ve told you before, while tourism suffered from COVID principally, agriculture got three hits: market contraction due to COVID, drought which came before and in some cases flood, which came afterwards.  So those are the sensitivity within the production but this leg keeps standing and has to remain standing.  For the drought, only sugar cane and vegetable, cabbage, onions, potatoes, sweet corn, sweet pepper, tomatoes production farmers operating in Cayo, Belize, Orange Walk and Corozal districts and registered in BAIMS qualify for support since the prolonged drought primarily affected these districts.”