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All this week we’ve been reporting on the economic impact of COVID-19 on the agro-productive sector. As you’ve heard earlier this week, the Spanish Lookout Community is facing a number of challenges. One sector is the dairy production. The state of emergency has placed restrictions on movements of people but the milking of cows is […]
Written on April 17, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on The Dairy Sector’s Struggles Amid COVID-19 Restrictions
This week, we have been covering the state of the productive sector. Dairy and the general livestock industry, as we heard, are having a difficult time during this state of emergency imposed in response to COVID-19. Even before the virus, the sugar industry faced challenges with a late start of its season due to last […]
Written on April 17, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on The Sugar Industry Prepared for COVID-19
The 2019 extended drought has had an adverse impact on the agriculture industry in Belize; in fact, some farmers are still reeling from it. It caused a significant drop in production and another drought is expected this year. So how is the sugar industry preparing for the months ahead? Communications and Government Affairs Officer William […]
Written on April 17, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Disasters |
Comments Off on The Sugar Industry Preparing for Another Drought
Every sector is being affected by this novel coronavirus and it includes the productive sector. The exportation of livestock to Guatemala via Bullet Tree Falls is an informal industry that has been established for many years, generating approximately fifty million Belize dollars in revenue on an annual basis. For the past four weeks, the movement […]
Written on April 16, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Featured |
Comments Off on Bullet Tree Falls Chairman Proposes Toll for Cattle Trade
During the meeting, Chairman Pinelo informed the panel that prior to the suspension of cattle export in the area, farmers were often seen paying out monies to police officers stationed in the village. As we’ve mentioned, the trade in cattle between Belize and Guatemala, despite an existing partial scope agreement, has not been formalized, therefore […]
Written on April 16, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Featured |
Comments Off on Cattle Trade at a Standstill, Millions Lost in Revenue
The impact of the COVID-19 is being felt everywhere. While the agro-productive sector is considered essential – it is also not immune to the shocks locally. As we’ve reported this week, this sector is trying to adjust and respond to the changes. The poultry sector has started to feel the pinch; the largest poultry producer […]
Written on April 16, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy |
Comments Off on Poultry Sector Braces for Economic Shock!
And while the problems in the livestock sector affect those who are moving cattle to be exported, it is also affecting the dairy cattle. These are cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. As you know, Western Dairies is the largest producer of these products […]
Written on April 16, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on Dairy Farmers and Producers Feel the Impact of COVID-19!
Dairy farmers are also staring down a drought that is expected to have serious consequences on the sector. The poultry farmers and grain growers are also expected to take a big hit as a result of the drought. Raymond Barkman of the Quality Poultry Products explains how the drought will affect their poultry sector and […]
Written on April 16, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on Drought to Compound Economic Losses on Poultry and Grain Sectors in Spanish Lookout
Shifting to the agro-productive sector…while food producers are allowed to operate within the regulations, the poultry sector in Spanish Lookout is still feeling the hit of COVID-19 and they anticipate that it may worsen if things continue the way they are. Quality Poultry Products, one of the largest poultry producers, is reporting a drop of […]
Written on April 15, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Poultry Sales Down by 50%; Chicken Producers Feeling the COVID-19 Hit!
So with a surplus on their hands, Quality Poultry Products is holding special discounts to encourage the sale of chicken because they also stand to face storage issues. Managing Director Raymond Barkman says that they are doing the buy two get one free promo which will help to cut some losses in the industry because, […]
Written on April 15, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Buy 2 Get 1 Free; Quality Poultry Products Working
Farmers suffered millions of dollars in losses in 2019 due to the drought. They were barely recovering when the COVID-19 started to spread in Belize, bringing economic activity to a halt. The farmers are again losing money and unable to export livestock across the border to Guatemala. But while borders are closed, trade continues. Hundreds […]
Written on April 9, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Health |
Comments Off on Farmers Feeling the Brunt of COVID-19
Is another drought on our horizon? That’s what’s it shaping up to be – according to the National Meteorological Service’s seasonal rainfall forecast for April to September. That forecast shows there may be drier than usual conditions, which could mean a drought across most of the country. The Met Service cites the El Nino Southern […]
Written on April 8, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Environment |
Comments Off on Another Drought on the Horizon!
The tourism industry has shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and now domestic tourism is also on hold for the upcoming Easter holidays. It is forecasted that the industry is in for a very long ride. The livelihood of the residents of San Pedro and Caye Caulker has been upended so the two cayes […]
Written on April 3, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Fishing – an Alternative in the Wake of Collapsed Tourism Industry?
Fisheries personnel were on patrol on Sunday when they came across a vessel with four persons who threw their cargo of one hundred and thirty-two whole lobsters overboard. As you may know, the lobster season is closed at this time and reopens until June, so fishermen shouldn’t be harvesting lobster. The four persons found on […]
Written on March 31, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Environment,
People & Places |
Comments Off on 132 Out-of-Season Whole Lobsters Confiscated
A main concern in the population is over food security so thousands are stock piling food item. A committee called the COVID-19 Food Supply Monitoring Committee met on Tuesday to discuss the country’s food stock and mitigation efforts that are to be put in place to ensure that Belizeans have food on their table in […]
Written on March 26, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Health,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Food Minister Says Belize’s Food Stock Adequate
A four-year project to spur greater benefits from the ocean was launched in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility and the Food and Agricultural Organization. The initiative is called the Blue Economy and involves six countries from the Caribbean. More than forty-six million U.S. dollars are being invested to maximise the marine economy. Here is […]
Written on March 6, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Environment,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Exploring the Economic Benefits of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem
Climate change, ocean acidification, marine pollution and irresponsible fishing are considered very real threats affecting the region. Recently, G.O.B. declared gillnets a destructive fishing gear even though OCEANA, among other conservation groups, has been calling for a ban on the gear. But on the regional scale, the illegal unreported and unregulated fishing continues to be […]
Written on March 5, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Still Affecting the Caribbean
There are two sugar producing companies in Belize, A.S.R./B.S.I. in the north and then there is the Santander Sugar Group which has its operations located near Valley of Peace in the West. The company has been producing sugar for four years; it has invested five hundred million dollars and has introduced cutting edge technology in […]
Written on February 25, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on Santander Begins Harvest
Santander Sugar Group plans to work with farmers in the area to increase its sugar production. The company exports its sugar through the Big Creek Port and for this harvest season, Santander Sugar Group is projecting a sugar production of fifty-seven thousand metric tons of sugar and to double production in two years. To do […]
Written on February 25, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on Santander Plans to Increase Sugar Production to 100 Metric Tons
Seven hundred and fifty persons are employed by Santander Sugar Group. Twenty-year-old Guatemalan National, Francisco Andres Antonio Sebastian, was an employee of Santander until he was crushed to death. It happened in 2016 when Sebastian was dismembered by a harvester machine. This brings to light the need for enhanced safety issues. Chief Executive Officer Jose […]
Written on February 25, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on Keeping Santander’s Workers Safe
In 2018, Santander Sugar was busted for selling sugar in the local market after it was granted an Export Processing Zone to produce sugar for export only. The violation resulted in a decision by the government to have the Customs Department confiscate a significant amount of plantation white sugar that the company had introduced into the domestic […]
Written on February 25, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on Santander C.E.O. Explains Why Company Is Prohibited from Selling Sugar Locally
The Government of Belize, the European Union and Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute officially opened the Integrated Pest and Disease laboratory. The one point seven million Belize dollars lab will develop the biological control called metarhizium. It will be applied to farms where there are outbreaks of the froghopper pest. It is a major […]
Written on February 12, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture |
Comments Off on Cane Farmers Better Equipped to Mitigate Outbreak of Froghopper in Northern Belize
The Christian Workers Union also met today in a lengthy session with Minister of State Tracy Panton to discuss issues several that are affecting waterfront workers at the Port of Belize in respect of the sugar industry. For decades, stevedores have played an integral role in the loading process for cargo ships leaving harbor with […]
Written on February 3, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Stevedores Affected by Drought, Sugar Loading Threatens Livelihoods
News Five also spoke with Junior Minister Panton who says she will register those concerns with cabinet colleagues, including Minister of Finance, Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Tracy Panton, Minister of State, Trade & Investment “Certainly the concern has to do with their livelihoods, essentially, and the fact that we have had a drought and […]
Written on February 3, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Cabinet to be Apprised of Stevedore Concerns
Earlier this week, a meeting was held to present the findings of an Agri-Tourism study of Ambergris Caye. The twelve-month study looked at agricultural produce that is consumed by the tourism sector. Now, for the first time in 2019, the tourism industry met its goals in exceeding half a million overnight guests and so the […]
Written on January 17, 2020 | Posted in
Agriculture,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Agricultural Production is Not Meeting the Demands of the Tourism Sector
