Farmers of the year chosen

The Ministry of Agriculture has announced the winners of the 2006 farmers of the year competition. Senior farmer of the year is Toledo’s Nicanor Requena. The twenty-seven year old works forty-five acres near San Pedro Columbia, using the land for agro-forestry, fruit trees, and cacao as well as raising cattle and pigs for sale as meat and barbeque.

Junior farmer of the year, seventeen year old Joel Lazo, hails from Bomba on the old Northern Highway. He farms fifteen acres of which eleven are in pasture and the remainder planted out in fruit trees and vegetables. Lazo’s cattle produce both meat and milk, which he further processes into cheese.

Woman farmer of the year is Darlin Balan of Bullet Tree Falls in the Cayo district. Balan’s five acre farm produces a variety of fruits, vegetables, ground food, beans and even cooking oil. She also manages to raise chickens, sheep, and pigs for sale each Saturday at the San Ignacio market.

The three winning farmers will be honored at the National Agriculture and Trade Show which opens on the evening of April twenty-eighth.