Rising waters in Blue Creek threaten poultry industry
We begin our newscast tonight with more stories on the flooding that has left over two-thirds of the country under water. The economic impact is beginning to show and in industries that are vital. In Blue Creek, deep in the Orange Walk District, where one of the largest producers of poultry is located, the picture is bleak and with more flooding anticipated, it threatens to get worst. Marion Ali travelled to that community and has a full report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
As the flood waters move towards the sea, it is slowly beginning to find its way in low-lying areas along the north of the country.
One of the outlets is the Rio Hondo River, which borders Belize and Mexico. Today that river and the corn and rice fields merged one big body of water.
And while the Blue Creek Mennonite community is mainly on high ground, the access road is under water, deep water; ten feet deep and spreading for a mile and a half into the village. While it has only been that way for a few days, already it has placed a threat not only on the lives of farm animals but on their food supply.
Stanley Rempel, Blue Creek Businessman
“The cattle doesn’t take up weight in weather like this. It’s also that they lose weight so it’s bad for the industry too.”
Isaac Bergen, Manager, Caribbean Chicken
“I guess it will be quite a while until there’s enough grains again here because we definitely have to wait until it dries up again and then they will have to replant again. So that’s probably a next six months or so until new crop will come in.”
Marion Ali
“What does this mean for the chickens that are right now on the farm? They will run out of feet so what will happen to them?”
Isaac Bergen
“No, I don’t think it will be that fast that they will run put of feed and I’m sure the Poultry Association is going to look into this if the feed is getting too low. They’ll probably import the corn again.”
Marion Ali
“Which means that price of chicken may go up?”
Isaac Bergen
“Depends on the cost of importation.”
And while time will tell whether or not the anticipated importation of chicken feed might have a bearing on the price of chicken in the next few months, Manager of Caribbean Chicken, Isaac Bergen, says the flood has also posed an immediate and drastic impediment on the flow of business.
Marion Ali
“People can’t get to the stores that sell your chicken or you can’t get the chicken from the factory out to these stores?”
Isaac Bergen
“So far yes, we are able to get our products to most of the stores but there are some villages that we cannot go right now. But I guess it’s probably a money problem that people have that they don’t buy their amount of chicken or something.”
And while there is an abundance of chicken in Blue Creek since the flood, the grain department is doing rather poorly. Almost all of the rice and corn fields have been wiped out.
Stanley Rempel
“All the area you can see now is all rice fields. There’s about I’d say about fifty to a hundred acres that has been flooded out up there but the biggest damage to the rice is the lack of sunshine.”
And sunshine is exactly what the people in Blue Creek and many others areas of the country will be hoping for over the next couple of weeks. Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.
