The Wildlife Conservation Society, Fisheries Department and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism launched “Fisherfolk Month” today in Belize City. All month long, WCS and its partners will host a number of activities and discussions to highlight the important role that fisherfolk play in Belize. The fishing industry, back in 2016, was said to earn in […]
Will the Spanish sugar-producing company, Santander, be fined for violating the conditions of its Export Process Zone certificate for releasing plantation sugar in the local market? We asked that question to the junior Minister Tracey Panton since Tuesday, but tonight, it is still not clear if the company will be sanctioned. Santander Sugar Limited has […]
Santander Sugar Limited has broken its silence on the debacle it is facing, accepting that it did not comply with the conditions of the Export Processing Zone Certificate. That violation has resulted in a decision by the government to have the Customs Department confiscate a significant amount of plantation white sugar that the company recently […]
Santander, the Spanish multinational operating in Valley of Peace, is again in hot water, this time for illegally producing and introducing plantation white sugar into the local retail market. Tonight, the Comptroller of Customs, Colin Griffith, has instructed customs posts in Corozal, Cayo and Orange Walk to confiscate the Santander sugar on the premises where […]
News Five understands that the supplier of the Santander sugar is DV Distributors, which may be connected to the Vega Empire. Santander’s move to proceed with production and the retail of plantation white sugar appears to be deliberate, since government reiterated its position again, via a stronger letter sent to the company on May eighteenth. […]
Minister Panton says that Santander has met with the Ministry of Trade, but is also requesting a meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture, even though it has already violated the EPZ in retailing plantation white sugar. Isani Cayetano “Have they approached to meet with you as the minister, or with your ministry to see […]
As the issue continues to heat up, three associations; Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, Progressive Sugar Cane Farmers Association and the Corozal Sugar Cane Farmers Association are seeking a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Godwin Hulse. In a letter, the associations note that they have carried out their own investigations and can confirm the […]
The Opposition People’s United Party has weighed in on the topic, from differing angles. Orange Walk South area rep Jose Mai, who is a cane farmer and staunch supporter of the established northern cane production, argues that Santander’s move is wrong on two fronts: in the eyes of the law, where their status as an […]
Cayo South area rep Julius Espat provided an alternative view focusing on the economic development provided by Santander in his area. He notes that farmers in the Cayo District have been providing cane to the Santander factory for their sugar, and many more are employed to harvest and produce, so he is more cautious about […]
There is a developing story tonight in the sugar industry. Santander, the Spanish sugar miller located in the Valley of Peace area is reportedly selling sugar in the domestic market. That company was granted an Export Processing Zone to produce sugar for export only. But the Santander sugar is being found on the shelves of […]
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its partner agencies want to recognize fisherfollks who are doing good work in the fishing industry. Two outstanding fishers will be awarded along with a “Fisher of the Year.” This is the fourth year the award is being given out and again, the organizers want you to help nominate […]
One week ago, we reported on the apparent pollution of the New River in the area of Orange Walk Town as well as villages to the north and east, including San Estevan, Trial Farm, and San Jose. Toxic chemical waste from ponds overlooking the river are leaching into it, causing the deaths of hundreds of […]
Residents of Orange Walk Town and surrounding villages are on alert tonight as the New River has suffered another fish kill. Hundreds of river fish such as tilapia and tarpon came up dead and floating in the last few days, though most have now been scavenged by river birds such as the white egret. At […]
Today, the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service is hosting an inbound mission from Belgium and the Netherlands that is here to learn about the cacao industry and explore opportunities of trade and investment. BELTRAIDE, in partnership with the Embassy of Belize in Brussels, held the first of its four-day tour with the European-Central America […]
Today, the Ministry of Agriculture officially opened a quarantine treatment arch at the Port of Belize in Belize City. The new arch is part of a wider effort done across ports of entry to prevent pests and invasive species from coming into the country; so vehicles and containers are sprayed. This is being done as […]
The third payment for sugar is looking lower than anticipated, according to industry sources. But today millers up north are finding ways to boost efficiency. American Sugar Refinery and the Belize Sugar Industries Limited, in collaboration with the Sugar Cane Production Committee and participating farmers hosted the media today to a Pre-Harvest Cane Quality Testing […]
As of news time, Belizean fisherman Iginio Canto Bacab of Caledonia, Corozal District, remains in custody in Livingston, Guatemala, charged with illegal capture of lobster. His hearing is set for Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Canto along with Alejandro Rodriguez Ortega, a Guatemalan who was born in Belize, and Julio Rodríguez Blanco, […]
The citrus industry continues to face turbulence, having to deal with HLB disease and low production at the factory. But there is a glimmer of hope for the Citrus Growers Association which has its eyes set on pineapple production as a means of realizing additional revenue. Citrus Products of Belize Limited, in which CGA is […]
There is mounting trouble in the citrus industry in the south. Already facing a significant decline in production, down to three million boxes, the news tonight is that the Citrus Growers Association is in deep financial trouble. Faced with a five million dollar debt which it has been unable to pay for its plant nursery […]
Citrus production will see a sharp decline of almost seven hundred thousand boxes of oranges this year, down from three point two million in 2017. That downturn is being attributed to HLB, or citrus greening, disease. While production of grapefruit goes up, there are concerns that both fruits are being sold across the border to […]
Despite its financial woes, all is not doom and gloom in the citrus industry. There is optimism to report from the Plant World Nursery project. C.E.O. Anderson believes that once it gets off the ground fully and the arrears are covered, the investment will provide monies for its stakeholders. Henry Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, […]
We regularly report on nationals of Guatemala and Honduras caught in Belizean waters with illegally captured produce, but rarely in the other direction. But according to Guatemalan media reports, on Tuesday morning three men were picked up by Guatemalan military personnel near Livingston. Prensa Libre reports that radar on the Guatemalan side warned of a […]
The fallout over the designation by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control of banana businessman John Zabaneh as an alleged drug trafficking kingpin continues. While he is no longer under that designation, he had to publicly withdraw from the industry, sending the Mayan King and other banana farms into freefall. Farm managers Meridian […]
Belize’s citrus industry has been on the decline. Productivity has diminished significantly over the past years. This reduced production is consistent with global trends with global citrus producers in decline. It’s an industry that is critical to Belize’s economy – from a GDP and foreign exchange perspectives. So what’s the outlook for Belize’s citrus? According […]
Two weeks ago, we reported that the Belize Aquaculture Limited terminated one hundred employees. The shrimp farm in the south reported that it was experiencing tough financial times because a disease was wreaking havoc in the shrimp stocks. Again, this is an industry that was once a top revenue earner for Belize but in recent […]
