According to Chanona, a general meeting of the membership of the Citrus Growers Association has not taken place since 2014 when the last AGM was convened at his insistence. Since then there has been no audited financials of the association. Isani Cayetano “Mr. Chanona, can you tell me when last the CGA met with […]
Last Friday in Belmopan, a group of fishermen picketed the Assembly Building in protest of a proposed ban on the use of gill nets. Conservationists across the country, including Oceana, are lobbying the Government of Belize to prohibit the use of this destructive fishing gear which indiscriminately ensnares aquatic species not intended for consumption. The […]
According to Maheia, these men have been issued fishing licenses to operate within Belizean waters, a practice, he says, that ought to be illegal. When the BTV pursued the Guatemalan vessel upon its departure from Punta Gorda, they were reportedly met with a nonchalant attitude from the fishermen. On the Phone: Wil Maheia, Belize […]
At least six staff members of the Citrus Growers Association did not report to work today and say they will not do so until they receive their salaries, which is overdue for at least two months. The C.G.A. is on the brink of bankruptcy; it has for quite some time been unable to provide service […]
The Citrus Growers Association, a representative organization of approximately two hundred and fifty small growers, remains in financial ruin. We have covered extensively the dire situation that the C.G.A. has found itself in, a dilemma that goes back to 2016 and has now landed the association on the brink of bankruptcy. This evening, several of […]
Marilyn Peters, who has also been with C.G.A. for the past fifteen years as an accounts payable clerk, explains how the creditors visited their offices a few weeks ago enquiring about the management team. Notwithstanding their absence, they proceeded to place markers on a number of C.G.A. assets in an attempt to recover monies owed […]
C.E.O. in the Ministry of Agriculture Jose Alpuche also weighed in on the trade mission. Alpuche told the press that apart from attracting new investments and opening new markets, this kind of mission can attract new technologies and practices. At the end of the mission, BELTRAIDE will be holding a review session to get feedback […]
This week we have been reporting on the crisis in the citrus industry and the ramifications to the growers and the economy. One of the factors that have contributed to the decline the industry, is citrus greening, a disease that has caused tremendous impact on the quality of fruits, size and the overall production. With […]
Since we had caught up with Minister of Agriculture Godwin Hulse, we asked him about meetings have been held with representatives of the CGA. On Friday, Hulse along with his C.E.O., the Prime Minister, and the Financial Secretary held talks with the CGA to discus eight concessions that can lift the industry from its current […]
Plantation white sugar can replace refined sugar. This is according to the Caribbean Development Bank which funded a technical study on the issue. CARICOM Ministerial meetings were held a few weeks ago in Belize and participating ministers discussed the matter extensively and reviewed the CDB’s findings. The report is seen as a win for Belize […]
The rains are here but the effects of the drought that devastated crops over several weeks are still being felt. The prolonged drought caused losses in the millions for farmers across the country. The government is committed to financially assist farmers, providing alleviation so that they can bounce back. Farmers will be afforded low-interest loans […]
Today, Belize joined the international community in celebrating World Food Day. This year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is focusing on the importance of healthy diets in tackling global hunger. The organization has highlighted an urgent need to ensure healthy and sustainable diets are both affordable and accessible to all. This year’s activities were […]
There is a looming death knell over the citrus industry in southern Belize, signaling that the livelihoods of hundreds may be hanging in the balance. Millions of dollars and years of investment are on the line. As we reported on Wednesday, the problem has been exacerbated by the Citrus Growers Association’s inability to discharge its […]
While the citrus industry is in crisis, up north the sugar industry is rebounding. ASR/B.S.I. has been attempting to get locally produced sugar into the tightly controlled CARICOM market. Now, the regional market is importing sugar from other regions to satisfy consumption needs, but getting Belize’s white sugar has been a huge challenge for years. […]
We start the newscast tonight with developments in the citrus industry which continues to find itself on the brink of collapse. For some time, the once thriving industry has been on the decline and tonight some two hundred and sixty-nine citrus growers are in limbo and their employees face unemployment. At the core of the […]
The financial losses to farmers up north don’t look good after months of a drought gripped the farming community. In Little Belize, a small Mennonite community in the Orange Walk District, crops of soybeans and vegetables as well as livestock, were severely impacted by the lack of rain. Acres of produce and hundreds of heads […]
The extreme dry weather conditions that have adversely affected the agriculture sector has once again prompted a discussion on climate resiliency and the need for farmers to adopt other practices that are considered weather resistant. Additionally, government has extended a hand to the agro-productive sector, particularly to farmers in the central, western and northern districts […]
According to District Agriculture Coordinator Elsner Campos, it is important for farmers to enroll with the ministry so that a record of their location, the crops they grow and the scale at which they are producing are all recorded for future use. Campos says that the information is necessary for times like these where help […]
The Belize Network of N.G.O.s wants the government to address illegal, unreported and regulated fishing activities as a matter of national priority. Government is particularly being urged to enact the Fisheries Resources Bill by introducing the piece of legislation at the next house meeting. The Bill has been on the drawing board for years. […]
The Belize Network of N.G.O.s is calling for the passage of a fisheries bill to put in place mechanisms to protect the industry and fisher folks. We asked the Fisheries Administrator Beverly Wade what has been the hold up. She says there are a number of issues that have caused the delay for the new […]
So, why are conservationists and their partners clamouring for the bill to be passed? Well, they say that when passed and enacted, it means that there will be stronger enforcement of fisheries regulations and increased promotion of sustainable fisheries management, among other pieces of legislation. Today, Fisheries Administrator Beverly Wade shared more about some of […]
The Fisheries Department says that they are ready for the new conch season. If you’ll recall the season was closed off two months early because the quota for the queen conch fishery was met by May first. The closure has come and gone, as the season re-opened on October first. Beverly Wade, the Fisheries Administrator, […]
In 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture commenced the Belize Agriculture Census. Some twenty enumerators were deployed out in the field to collect data. It was originally planned that the census would be completed within nine months; the information gathered would then be analyzed and compiled into the National Geo-reference Farm Registry. The registry would include […]
Five days of meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development in Belize wrapped up today. CARICOM hosted the regional meetings to discuss and plan for trade, agriculture and fisheries related matters. The sessions, led by CARICOM secretariat representatives, as well as ministers of member states, included participation of private sector partners, other policy […]
Another matter that came out of today’s conclusion of the COTED meeting, was the region’s recommendation on how to approach African swine fever. It is a virus that spreads rapidly, is resistant to heat and chemical treatments and it can kill large volumes of domestic pigs. The virus has spread in parts of Asia and […]
