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On Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai told News Five that B.S.C.F.A. had been cut out of its share of Fairtrade premium for sugar sold by B.S.I. to Tate and Lyle Sugars. Today, A.S.R./B.S.I. issued a release confirming that T.L.S. does not purchase Fairtrade sugar from B.S.C.F.A. because of a breakdown in their relationship. […]
Written on April 20, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on B.S.I. Clarifies Fairtrade Premiums Payment Methodology
Each year, the Ministry of Agriculture names a Woman Farmer of the Year to complement its new senior and junior winners. This year’s Woman Farmer of the Year, fifty-year-old Esmeralda Stanley, showed us today that she is not only deserving of the recognition, but that she is certainly self-sufficient. She lives by the mantra that […]
Written on April 19, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Woman Farmer of the Year is Phenomenally Independent
Belize District is often referred to as the vegetable basket for the urban market. Thousands of pounds of edible plants that are consumed daily are produced by many cooperatives just off the Old Northern Highway. Today, a News Five team travelled to Bomba – a farming community outside of Maskall Village. The Bomba United Farmers […]
Written on April 19, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on From the Farms to the Table, Onion Field Day in Bomba
Earlier today, News Five caught up with Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai in Bomba Village and we asked for an update on the situation between Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and American Sugar Refinery/Belize Sugar Industry. As we’ve been reporting, the parties have been at odds over an unresolved commercial agreement and today, News […]
Written on April 19, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Did A.S.R./B.S.I. Not Pay B.S.C.F.A. for Fairtrade Premium?
But what law exists that determines that the miller must compensate all farmers after selling sugar to Fairtrade at a premium price? Agriculture Minister Jose Abelardo Mai says that at this time there is none. It’s a matter that came up in cabinet on Tuesday. Jose Abelardo Mai, Ministry of Agriculture “The problem that […]
Written on April 19, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on G.O.B. Wants to Ensure Protection of Sugar Cane Farmers
In December 2018, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD launched the Resilient Rural Belize program, providing financing of around sixteen million dollars to contribute to the government’s goal of increasing resilience in rural areas that need the assistance. The U.N-designated body works to address poverty in rural areas of developing countries, such as Belize and […]
Written on April 17, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Nago Bank Fulfilling IFAD’s Purpose of Farming to Address Poverty
The Junior Farmer of the Year, 2023 is twenty-three-year-old Axel Perez, of Cristo Rey Village, Corozal. Perez, a sixth form graduate, shared that he has had to make sacrifices to see successes, but also says that because he has found a level of peace and joy in farming, it is really not a means of […]
Written on April 14, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Junior Farmer of the Year: Engaging in What You Love Keeps You Happy
The effects of climate change on farming communities will force the agro-productive sector to take on new methods and practices in farming. That is why the Ministry of Agriculture has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four relevant departments for a Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project. The project is intended to benefit more than […]
Written on April 13, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Ministry of Agriculture Signs MoU for $91.4 Climate Resilient Project
Two weeks ago, we heard from the Leader of the Belize People’s Front, Nancy Marin, who is also a businesswoman and farmer. She has opened a restaurant that offers exotic meats on the menu and ostrich is one of them. But the Forestry Department has an issue with the classification of ostriches, based on international […]
Written on April 13, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Mai on Ostrich Farms: As Long As They Meet the Requirements, I Support It
There’s a demand for poultry in the Caribbean and Belize might get the green light to supply CARICOM countries with the coveted source of protein. According to Minister of Agriculture, Jose Abelardo Mai, it could be a good opportunity for Belize, whose prices are competitive with other regions. But the confirmation note is still pending […]
Written on April 13, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Will Belize Supply Poultry to CARICOM?
Another commodity that has seen a recent increase is poultry. Viewers might have taken note that the price of poultry increased by ten cents earlier this week. As a result, some of the popular fast food restaurants have already increased their prices to reflect this change. We asked Minister Mai about this latest increase. Here […]
Written on March 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Price Of Poultry Up By Ten Percent
Today, a graduation ceremony was held for a group of female cane farmers who successfully completed the Women Farmers Field School. Over the last twelve months, these women attended sessions out in the field, at the B.S.I. mills at Tower Hill learning the theory and then practical aspects of the sugar industry from start to […]
Written on March 30, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Women Cane Farmers Boost their Capacity, Graduate Field School
While women make up just over forty percent of the registered farmers population, sixty percent of male farmers are above the age of fifty. Farming in the sugar industry is a traditional livelihood and there have been efforts to have youths engaged in the future of the industry. Cane Farmer Relations Manager Olivia Carballo-Avilez told […]
Written on March 30, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Engaging the Youth through Technology in the Sugar Industry
There is good news coming out of the north as it relates to the 2022-2023 sugar crop season. It was off to a rough start with the issues surrounding a commercial agreement between the miller and the sugar cane farmers association, but today, Belize Sugar Industry Limited is saying that over half a million tons […]
Written on March 30, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Good News on the 2022/2023 Sugar Crop
As we reported last week, Belize Sugar Industries Limited saw its Fairtrade certification suspended following an audit back in January that flagged the millers for noncompliance. According to a release from B.S.I., the major noncompliance related to a change in classification of B.S.I. in the FLOCERT System. The other technicalities have been addressed and B.S.I. […]
Written on March 30, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Fairtrade Suspension to be Lifted
Earlier today, the Statistical Institute of Belize confirmed what has been previously reported by the Minister of Agriculture with respect to the underwhelming performance of various industries, including crude oil, citrus, banana and shrimp. In discussing imports and exports, statistician Tiffany Vasquez drew comparisons between these respective sectors at the peak of productivity more than […]
Written on March 29, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on S.I.B. Confirms Sharp Decline in Domestic Exports: Shrimp, Banana and Citrus
While there have been sharp declines elsewhere in the agro-productive sector, sugar remains a viable commodity. Over a twelve-year period, sugar exports went from roughly sixty million dollars in 2010, to more than doubling that figure in 2022. The outlook for the other sectors remains grim, considering the significant costs of fuel and production. […]
Written on March 29, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Sugar Holds Its Own Amid Decline in Domestic Exports
Tonight, we bring you the follow up to a story we aired on a Look on the Bright Side only two weeks ago. Children in San Jose Succotz were growing their own vegetables to test a hypothesis put forward by their teacher. The update, however, is a result of your reaction to the initial piece, […]
Written on March 23, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Owner of Salad Franchise Supports School Growing Veggies
The agriculture sector shrunk in 2022, but continues to be one of the main economic drivers for the country. It employs tens of thousands of Belizeans and experiences direct growth as the tourism sector expands. During his presentation, Orange Walk South Area Representative Jose Abelardo Mai revealed that the citrus industry is facing challenges; meanwhile, […]
Written on March 23, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Budget Debate: The Agriculture Sector and its Challenges
A team from Jamaica is presently in Belize on a fact-finding mission to determine whether poultry produced locally can be exported to the island nation on a commercial scale. The delegation met with Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai and the Belize Poultry Association on Tuesday. According to Armando Cowo, Manager of the B.P.A., discussions […]
Written on March 22, 2023 | Posted in
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Regional / International |
Comments Off on Will Belize Export Poultry to Jamaica?
The Lamanai Archaeological Reserve was designated back in 1985; four years after Belize gained its independence. It is said to be the archaeological site with the longest occupational history in Belize. It encompasses nine hundred and fifty-eight acres of land. Lamanai is also home to over three thousand species of plants and five hundred and […]
Written on March 17, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on $177,000 Lamanai Conservation and Preservation Project Launched
Tonight on Belize on Reel, we visit a family-owned farm in the Belize District that continues to grow in popularity for a variety of meat produce being delivered to your favorite supermarkets. Yemy Farm started off as a small operation by former Immigration Director Mario Arzu in 2012. Since then it has taken off as […]
Written on March 16, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on At Yemy Farm Belizeans Enjoy Farm Life and Fresh Produce
The Minister of Home Affairs has been appointed to head a three-member Cabinet sub-committee that has been established to bring about a solution to the longstanding impasse between B.S.C.F.A. and A.S.R./B.S.I. Over the last year, several methods have been employed, including the appointment of Florencio Marin Senior as an advisor, as well as the appointment […]
Written on March 15, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Minister of Home Affairs Heading Cabinet Sub-Committee on Sugar Impasse
The Belize Marketing and Development Corporation is focusing on the return of rice production in southern Belize. It’s been six years since the mill has not been churning, but earlier this month, production restarted. Last year, the B.M.D.C. accepted rice paddy from farmers, but it was not for transportation to the millers in Cayo, but […]
Written on March 15, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on The Resurgence of Big Falls Rice Mill after Six Years
That homemade fried chicken or roast pork leg might have had you talking about just how tasty they were, but the secret behind that delectable goodness is the seasoning. And many a cook seems to choose those that are prepared by Indira’s Spices at the Michael Finnegan Market. In fact, this family’s seasonings are so […]
Written on March 14, 2023 | Posted in
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Economy,
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Comments Off on What Seasoning Is on That Meat? Indira’s Spices!
