Key players in the farmed shrimp industry met today to work out a joint response to the discovery of the Taura virus at a shrimp farm near Ladyville. While still awaiting a report on what transpired, we spoke to veterinarian Mike DeShield to find out just how serious the outbreak is. Michael DeShield, Vet. Information […]
It is poised to become Belize’s largest export, but investors in the farmed shrimp industry are expressing a measure of concern tonight over the appearance of a virus at one facility near Belize City. A release from the Belize Agricultural Heath Authority, BAHA, reports that the Nova Shrimp operation near Ladyville has been placed under […]
The farmers of the year have been announced by the Ministry of Agriculture. Winner of the title Senior Farmer of the Year is Julian Patt of San Estevan in the Orange Walk District. Junior Farmer of the Year is Giovanni Tun of Freetown Sibun in the Belize District, while Woman Farmer of the Year is […]
Images of livestock being destroyed in England because of the possibility of Foot and Mouth disease have saturated the international press. The disease is highly infectious and causes a fever followed by blisters chiefly in the mouth or on the feet. The Belize Agricultural Health Authority has been flooded with concerned calls from farmers wanting […]
It may not have the headline appeal of mad cow or foot and mouth disease, but a tiny insect has the potential to wreak just as much havoc on Belizean agriculture. News 5’s Jose Sanchez travelled to Placencia to learn more about the notorious medfly. Jose Sanchez, Reporting The Mediterranean Fruit Fly had not been […]
On Saturday the Citrus Growers Association held its annual Citri Expo. The event, held at the organisation’s headquarters on the Stann Creek Valley Road, highlighted the many activities that the C.G.A. is involved in, including finance, research, technical advice, machinery rental, hauling services and fertilizer sales. The expo was opened by Citrus Industry Minister Henry […]
Not far away in Dangriga, an agricultural show was being held as part of a week of festivities organised by the World Garifuna Organisation. The show featured produce and handicraft primarily from the Garifuna communities of Barranco, Seine Bight, Hopkins, Georgetown, Dangriga and Punta Gorda.
Nature has not been particularly kind to Belize these days as evidenced by Hurricane Keith in October, followed shortly by news of the devastation of the Mountain Pine Ridge by the Southern Pine Bark Beetle. Today we are informed that another insect is threatening to wreak havoc on the economy in the form of the […]
A new machine to aid in the processing of beans has been installed in Spanish Lookout. The pre-cleaning machine, which will be used by bean farmers in the area, separates cracked beans from whole kernels and is expected to make exports more efficient. Minister of Agriculture, Dan Silva, and company chairman Levy Penner were on […]
In news from Cabinet, that body has approved an initiative to promote soybeans as a major new crop for Belizean farmers. The ten point five million dollar project, eighty-five percent of which will take the form of loans from the Government of Brazil, will establish processing facilities and finance field production. Currently twelve hundred acres […]
Despite dramatic gains by the tourism industry, agriculture remains the largest sector of Belize’s economy, both in terms of revenue and employment. Today agriculturists from across the nation gathered in San Estevan in the Orange Walk District for the Ministry of Agriculture’s annual review. Over the course of the two-day meeting officials from each district […]
The Government of Belize and the World Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, have signed three agreements that will provide more than seven hundred thousand dollars for the development of food production. Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperatives Daniel Silva, signed on behalf of the government. Daniel Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries “These three projects […]
It will never rank with the massive export industries of sugar, citrus and bananas in terms of foreign exchange… but dollar for dollar, the economic impact of organic cacao on farmers in southern Belize gives new meaning to the term “cash crop.” Jose Sanchez reports from Punta Gorda. Jose Sanchez “There are many Mayan communities […]
Those cool nights over the last month were not just good for getting a sound night’s sleep. They also helped produce a bumper crop of potatoes. Speaking at a ceremony at Seven Miles community on the Mountain Pine Ridge Road, Agricultural Minister Dan Silva announced that imports of potatoes will no longer be needed as […]
Belize’s agricultural sector is in for modernization, thanks to a project approved by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. Under the half million dollar programme, a statistical database will be created of all the nation’s farms and farmers. This will allow the Ministry of Agriculture to make better predictions of farm production and more accurately […]
What was informed speculation on Monday has become gospel on Wednesday. Cabinet has decided that the best way to pay for the increase in sugar cane prices demanded by farmers is to raise the price of local sugar. Those rates are expected to rise by ten and twelve cents per pound respectively when the new […]
Cane farmers are not the only agriculturalists receiving improved rewards for their labours. Estimated prices for this season’s citrus crop have also been revised upwards. The projected price of a box of oranges has this week gone from four dollars to four dollars and ninety-one cents. The rise was prompted by a prolonged upturn in […]
At ceremonies held Wednesday evening, Minister of Agriculture Daniel Silva and regional director for the Food and Agriculture Organisation, David Bowen, inaugurated the Selena Micro Dam. The dam, near Spanish Lookout in Cayo, will provide water for irrigation during the dry months of the year, which will allow farmers to produce vegetables out of season. […]
The Ministry of Agriculture is the proud recipient of three Toyota vehicles. The gift is a donation from USAID and United States Department of Agriculture. The vehicles will be used to assist the Belize Agriculture Health Authority in its medfly eradication programme. Minister Dolores Balderamos Garcia received the donation on behalf of Minister of Agriculture, […]
In related agricultural news, BAHA is on the alert for any reports of Classical Swine Fever in Belize. Symptoms of the virus include vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, skin discoloration, in-coordination and coughing. The pigs also tend to huddle together and die within five to fifteen days of illness. The disease has been reported in Libertad, a […]
Floodwaters in the north and west, while still well above normal, are slowly receding in most areas. But residents are keeping a watchful eye on the sky as more rain is predicted for later in the week. In the meantime, authorities continue to tally the damage in rural areas, particularly to agriculture. Today News Five […]
With prices depressed for Belize’s traditional citrus products it has long been advocated that the industry diversify its offerings. Today that effort took a small but important step forward with the certification of Belize’s first organic citrus grove. Maya Ranch in Cayo, operated by the Janus Foundation, received the European Union organic certification after testing […]
Tonight, Belizean poultry farmers are nervously listening to hear if their chickens are sneezing, sniffling or even coughing. That’s right, chickens can cough. Those are just some of the symptoms of Avian Influenza. The mild form of the disease is currently affecting both Guatemala and Mexico, while Honduras is reporting that Newcastle Disease is affecting […]
If the National Agriculture and Trade Show wasn’t a part of your long weekend, News Five managed acquire a few highlights of the Belmopan bash. Organizers say over 36,000 visitors walked the walk on the weekend and surprisingly despite the increase in traffic on the Western Highway, not one traffic accident was reported.
If you haven’t made plans for the weekend yet, one of your options is the National Agriculture and Trade Show. Organizers are expecting that a whopping 40,000 visitors will be patrolling the fairgrounds this weekend and today, vendors were eagerly setting up shop in preparation for all of them. In addition to the food on […]
