The Central Bank recently announced that inflation is now mainly driven by the rising cost of domestic goods, especially the foods we produce. Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai explains that there are several reasons for these increasing and persistent costs, but the biggest culprit, he says, is climate change.
Jose Abelardo Mai
Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture
“There are a number of reasons why costs go up right. Last year the same time we had the inflation spike again. The weather patterns, not only in Belize, but in Mexico. Excess rainfall has caused loses to the farmers. So you have loses, less product, supply and demand. And so the farmers right now. I got a call moments ago that the farmers in San Carlos, carrots are not doing goo. So the farmers that take a thousand pounds will take five hundred pounds. So his carrots gone up. He have loses. So, the little carrots that he has he will try to get a better price for it. But it is a natural reaction. Again, you hear the term climate change over and over. The soy beans, we have fifty percent lost right now. The millers jump up quick and say minister give us the license to import soy beans. I say, wait. Buy what the farmers have first. Obviously the farmer wants a little more, because he lost. WE live in the humid tropics. We subject to some of the worst diseases, worst pest, worst conditions to grow crops in. So, last year was the same exact thing.”
Paul Lopez
“What sort of relief can the ministry think about issuing?”
Jose Abelardo Mai
“One of the things discussed is crop insurance, but it aint cheap. There is nothing cheap nowadays.”
Earlier, we mentioned that the Ministry of Agriculture is working hard to keep Belize free of screwworm. However, there’s another issue at hand—a fungal disease called fusarium has led the ministry to declare a state of emergency in the sugar industry. This disease is reportedly affecting forty thousand acres of sugar cane. So, how will this impact the start of the 2024/2025 sugar crop? We asked Minister Mai for his insights.
Jose Abelardo Mai
Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture
“We declared a state of emergency. We had an S.I. signed two weeks ago declaring a state of emergency. Under the previous act, there was no provision for that. So, we had to amend the act to include plant and animal diseases to try to draw down resources from our neighbors, partners in development. I was at COP 29 for the first time in my life, and I went there not to profile or take picture. My message was very clear. Our farmers are suffering from the effects of climate change. What are we going to do about it? While I was there I spoke to my team and they presently formally requests from ICA. It has been approved in principle. So what we are working on is the details of the resources that will come to us to help us find a way to mitigate the effects of fusarium. It has to be a program. It is not a silver bullet. It is a whole program that will include biologi9cal control, different cropping systems, integrated crop management, new varieties, bringing in varieties from Brazil that that are resistant to fusarium. ICA will provide money for that.”
Paul Lopez
“What is the implications of the state of emergency for the start of the sugar crop?”
Jose Abelardo Mai
“The crop will begin, as soon as weather improves. If there is enough cane out there to start, we will start. We have to continue. The fields that have fusarium will eventually die out.”
Belize remains free of the New World Screwworm, a pest that poses a significant threat to livestock, but authorities warn that the risk of an outbreak is growing. Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai has been holding weekly meetings with his technical teams to monitor the rising number of cases in neighbouring countries. Following a meeting in Yo Creek Village, Minister Mai and BAHA Managing Director Zoe Robinson-Zetina provided updates on the situation.
Zoe Robinson-Zetina confirmed that Belize is currently free of screwworms but highlighted the importance of active surveillance.“We do not have screwworms in Belize, and we are going through active surveillance to ensure we know the health status of our country,”she said. She added that neighbouring Guatemala has reported 26 cases, including one in Petén, the closest to Belize. Meanwhile, Honduras is grappling with over 70 cases, despite efforts to control the spread.
The New World Screwworm burrows into the flesh of animals, causing severe, often fatal damage. Minister Mai outlined key preventive measures, including education and awareness, controlling the movement of animals, treating wounds promptly, reporting cases quickly, and dispersing sterile flies.“We are telling farmers now: you cannot have animals wounded on the farm. Treat it. If there are no wounds, the fly cannot lay eggs,”he said.
Belize’s cattle industry, valued at $100 million, is particularly vulnerable. Minister Mai expressed concern about the potential impact on cattle exports. He pointed out that a single case in Mexico recently led the United States to ban Mexican cattle imports, highlighting the economic risks Belize could face.“The resources the government has put towards screwworm control right now are more than what we get from the region. This is how serious the government is looking at this,”Mai stated.
BAHA has ramped up border surveillance, especially in unofficial crossing points like Jalacte and Bullet Tree.
While Belize’s strict measures are commendable, experts believe an outbreak is inevitable.“It is spreading so rapidly in Central America that we believe it will be introduced in Belize,”Robinson-Zetina said. The Ministry of Agriculture has drafted legislation to quarantine affected areas and deploy resources quickly if a case is detected.
Minister Mai described the worst-case scenario:“Block off Toledo, put control points in place.”
Belizean officials are on high alert after a case of New World screwworm (NWS) was detected in Catazaja, Chiapas, near Mexico’s border with Guatemala.
Fermin Blanco, the country representative of OIRSA in Belize, told News Five that concerns surrounding the detection of the New World screwworm in Mexico and its potential impact on the region are being addressed. Blanco explained that the detection of the disease had raised alarms due to the damage it can cause.
He stressed that Belize remains free of the disease and that the export protocols to Mexico are unchanged for now. However, he acknowledged that if the disease was to be detected in Belize, it would lead to the implementation of stricter protocols, similar to those imposed on Guatemala, which includes increased inspections, sanitation, and measures to ensure that animals are free of ticks or flies. Additionally, animals might need to be treated with insecticides and undergo an Ivermectin injection to guarantee protection against the pest.
OIRSA, the Ministry of Agriculture, BAHA, and the Belize Livestock Producers Association (BLPA) are working together to prevent the introduction of the New World screwworm fly into Belize. He stressed that the movement of cattle, particularly the illegal transportation of cattle from neighbouring Central American countries, plays a major role in the spread of the disease.
Blanco explained that producers would now have to manage and treat wounds in animals more carefully, as the pest is attracted to the smell of blood. Even routine practices like ear tagging and dehorning would require attention to avoid creating conditions that attract the fly.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise has announced the dates for the highly anticipated National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) 2025. The event will take place from May 30 to June 1, 2025, under the theme “Integrating Sustainable Food Systems: Mitigating Climate Change, Strengthening Agricultural Resilience.”
Preparations for the event are already underway at the showgrounds. The NATS Committee will soon provide details on the reservation and sale of concession stands, food stalls, and commercial booths.
The United States has temporarily halted cattle imports from Mexico following the detection of a case of New World screwworm (NWS) in Catazaja, Chiapas, near Mexico’s border with Guatemala. The announcement was made by Mexico’s government on Sunday. The severity of the threat posed by the parasitic fly can devastate livestock and other warm-blooded animals, including humans.
In its statement, the Mexican government assured that measures to control the outbreak are underway and that the suspension does not affect other exports. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed receiving notification from Mexico’s chief veterinary officer, adding that NWS infestations typically enter through open wounds, where maggots feed on living tissue. The USDA is now collaborating with Mexico and Central American partners to contain the spread, urging producers to monitor livestock closely for signs of infection.
This development comes as Belize’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise, Jose Abelardo Mai, recently participated in a regional meeting in Chetumal, Mexico, focused on the prevention of exotic animal diseases, including Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and screwworm.
The meeting, hosted by Mexico’s National Service for Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA), brought together officials from various organisations, including the Mexican Army and the National Guard, to discuss strategies for safeguarding the agricultural sector. Gabino Galván, Regional Director for SENASICA, and other experts stressed the importance of vigilance in preventing screwworm from spreading further.
Earlier this year, many farmers in Toledo faced devastating losses as raging forest fires destroyed their farm trees, crops, and pastures. Thankfully, they’ve been getting help to get back on their feet. Today, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) stepped in to provide essential agricultural equipment for planting cacao seeds. The ceremony saw the presence of Toledo West Area Representative Oscar Requena, NEMO Coordinator Daniel Mendez, and a representative from CDEMA’s co-sponsor. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Six months ago, southern and western Belize were engulfed in flames as uncontrolled forest fires raged for weeks, devastating farmlands, pastures, and crops. A situational report later revealed that over ten thousand hectares of agricultural land in Toledo were destroyed. Today, there’s a glimmer of hope as some of those farmers received much-needed assistance from NEMO to replant cacao. Coordinator Daniel Mendez shared details about the equipment and support provided.
Daniel Mendez
Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO
“What we are providing is these two components. And so, this this short opening really is the beginning of a longer-term process. We will be working with the Toledo Cacao Growers Association and the Maya Mountain Cacao in the next few in the next few months to start to provide more assistance so that in next year you will be able to start to your your farms will be able to start to recover. So this is only one component that we’re starting today, and the rest will continue and we will do everything we can to keep on providing support to you.”
CDEMA’s global donor partner, Global Affairs Canada, has provided funding to assist in the project and today, CDEMA’s Project Coordinator, Jason Francis, explained that it is also important for crops to be more climate resilient.
Jason Francis
Jason Francis, Project Coordinator, CDEMA
“As we witness the handover of this important agricultural equipment purchased through this project, the CDEMA Coordinating Unit is happy to have partnered to provide Canadian 140, 000 worth of equipment and support to support the restoration of the cocoa sector here in Belize. In this region in particular to support the hardworking farmers here today and their families. We urge continued engagement and continued cooperation between national, regional, international, and in particular, our community experts on how we can build climate resilience, particularly in the agricultural sector.”
Jose Coy, who is the Managing Director of Maya Mountain Cacao Farms, says that he will try to get better prices for the farmers, depending on what the international market is offering.
Jose Coy
Jose Coy, Managing Director, Maya Mountain Cacao Farm
“We’ll be reaching out to you to share cacao seedlings so that you can replant, so that then the industry can continue to boom. We’re right now doing our budget and looking at the estimated cacao beans that were estimated to buy for this season. So I’m seeing that cacao industry, at least my mountain will bring nearly $2 million to Toledo district. So each farmer will be selling cacao beans; you’ll be receiving your money for your beans.”
Coy shared that farmers in Trio are currently earning two dollars and twenty-five cents per pound of cacao beans they sell. However, since they rent land from the government, $0.25 is deducted from each pound. He added that if international prices go up, the extra earnings will be passed on to the cacao farmers. Marion Ali for News Five.
Fonseca was thrilled about the great news for Belize’s sugar industry following the UK’s decision to keep its current Autonomous Tariff Quota for raw cane sugar. This means Belize’s raw cane sugar can still enter the UK market with zero tariffs, and our sugar exports will continue to enjoy duty-free, quota-free access. This steady access is crucial for Belize, especially since there won’t be any increased competition from suppliers outside the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States. Fonseca explained how this decision will benefit Belize.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Trade
“It means that, you know, the status quo remains. That Belize will continue to be able to, um, export its sugar on the same existing terms and conditions. At least for another few years. Um, I think it’s four years or so. Um, so, that was something we were concerned about. Because there were moves, you know, in some partners to try to, to, to really remove that, that favorable status. Um, and extend it to other countries. Um, and so, it’s very important. We did a lot of work in that regard. Um, you know, my predecessor, Minister Courtney, did a lot of important work. Advancing that issue on and we have done so over the last year. Um, so we’re very happy that the U. K. Government, um, And parliament has approved that process to continue.”
Earlier this year, Minister of the Blue Economy, Andre Perez, mentioned that the fees for archaeological reserves would go up, but that deadline has already come and gone. Today, Minister of Education and Culture, Francis Fonseca, explained to reporters that the delay was just due to some technicalities, like paperwork. He now says the new fees will kick in with the New Year.
Francis Fonseca, Cabinet Minister
“As you all know, November 1st, we’ve now said it will take effect on January 1st. There were also some discussions with some of the cruise operators, uh, so cruise ships, and, and I think there was a sense that perhaps we needed a few more weeks. So everybody agreed that January 1st would be the best time.”
Belize’s sugar industry has received a major boost after the UK confirmed that it will maintain its current sugar import policies. This includes keeping the Autonomous Tariff Quota (ATQ) for raw cane sugar at 260,000 tonnes for 2025, which allows Belize to continue exporting sugar to the UK at a 0% tariff rate. The announcement was presented in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Osmond Martinez, stated, “The UK’s commitment to preserving this vital access reaffirms the importance of Belize’s cane farmers, whose contributions support not only the economy but the livelihoods of thousands of Belizean families.” The sugar industry is one of Belize’s major sources of income, directly employing around 12,000 people and indirectly supporting 50,000 more in the northern districts.
This decision follows consultations between Belize and the UK government. Belize’s sugar exports will continue to enjoy duty-free, quota-free access under the CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
The UK has also pledged to continue discussions with Caribbean nations about future sugar policies, with the possibility of reviewing changes for 2026 and beyond.
