Banana Association upset at E.U. funding delays

The banana industry got an injection of chemicals this month, courtesy of the Ministry of National Development and the European Union. According to a press release issued today, the first two shipments of fungicides arrived in Belize earlier this week and will be used in the ongoing control of the Black Sigatoka disease. We understand the delivery was made possible through funding from the Disease Management and Monitoring Program of the E.U. Banana Support Program. In all, six shipments will be sent to Belize and the total donation is valued at approximately two point nine million dollars. But while the donation is expected to increase competitiveness of industry, this afternoon, Chairman of the Banana Growers Association Zaid Flores expressed concern, categorically stating “the E.U. has seriously delayed the dispersement of funding for all its projects in Belize”. Moreover, Flores maintains that as late as last week, cabinet took decision to “allocate as much as fifty percent of promised funding to social projects”. Overall, Flores contends that the industry is “not happy” with E.U. delays and its corresponding impact on Belize’s banana programs.