Responding to the Ministry of Education’s refusal to grant time off for the meeting, B.N.T.U. President Nadia Caliz made it clear that they don’t need the ministry’s approval. She urged members to take a stand by attending the meeting, emphasizing the importance of reaching a certain threshold of voters for the union’s mandate to be valid. Caliz accused the ministry of trying to frustrate the process, but she remains determined to push forward.
Nadia Caliz, President, B.N.T.U.
“For me now, while members are in my inbox and their branch leaders, we have to formalize and that is the reason for tomorrow’s meeting. I also want to tell my members, as you leader I am testing you out. You need to have the guts to come out and you have been screaming strike, strike, strike. But if you cannot come out tomorrow and vote, I want to know are you really ready for the strike you have been clamoring for. That is a test for me as a leader. Teachers are wondering if they will be duct. Teachers are wondering what will happen to their salary. So, when you come out and say you don’t approve it is for you to cut down the numbers and we definitely need to get one thousand, five hundred votes. So, it is a move to cut down. So if my members want something and they don’t give the mandate, because if we don’t get the mandate we cant move forward. They need to understand what is at stake here. While I am not in the classroom, I prefer to lose a day pay and gain more than to just sit there trying to protect that and suffer, suffer.”
Each year, the National Agriculture and Trade Show Committee selects a woman farmer of the year. This person needs to meet a list of criteria to even be considered for the prestigious recognition. Noemi Requena is the committee’s pick for 2025 and as we found out, she did not only meet the requirements but surpassed them. Requena, as we learned, is a full-time manager of a business, but for the past several years, she has been successfully juggling full-time employment with diversified farming, voluntarily training young farmers in sustainable farming techniques, while still looking after her family. She was happy to give us a tour of her farm when we visited on Saturday. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Noemi Requena
Noemi Requena, Woman Farmer of the Year, 2025
“Compost material – what I do, I practice a lot of composting, so I make my own compost.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
Noemi Requena of Punta Gorda is this year’s Woman Farmer of the Year. She attained that recognition by farming and managing a three-acre plot of land on an eight-acre ranch in Cattle Landing Village, a few miles out of the town. We visited Requena on Saturday, which was coincidentally her birthday. We found her busily caring for the crops and animals that she grows there.
Noemi Requena
“We would come early in the morning, sometimes at five in the morning and we start to water our plants. After finishing the watering, we feed our chickens, then our pigs, ensure the animals all the feed and water they need. We would harvest what needs to be harvested, then we start preparing beds to put in a new crop, different than what we had there.”
Requena farms on a three-acre plot of land, but she has an impressive line of crops that she harvests there.
Noemi Requena
“We have coconuts, plantain, banana, okra, tomato, I have protein banks for my livestock. I have the nacedero and I have the mulberry bank. I have sweet potato – the two varieties.”
The system of farming Requena uses is called “mixed farming,” rotating the spots.
Marion Ali
“Why is it important to rotate?
Noemi Requena
“Because the different crops that we have draw different amounts of nutrients from the soil. So you don’t want to be using the same nutrients on the same crop. For example, where I harvested corn, I’m going to plant beans. Why, because beans gives back legume nitrogen to our soil. If we give back the nutrients to our soil, we can use the same area over and over.”
This type of farming does not only keep the soil nutrient-rich but also promotes space efficiency.
Noemi Requena
“I constantly hear people say “Oh, I don’t have land. We need ten acres; we need 150 acres.” In my opinion and experience, we can produce food and make an income out of a small area, as I have.”
For her, the added income from her farm helps to educate her three children. The 2025 Woman Farmer of the Year is assisted by her common-law husband, Evan Williams, who also has a full-time job elsewhere. We found him plowing when we showed up and asked him thereafter to explain that process to us.
Evan Williams
Evan Williams, Common-law husband, Noemi Requena
“That job is necessary to aerate the soil and then loosen up the soil. So, the plants have no struggle getting it roots down, anchoring itself. We are preparing for yams. It’s better known as purple yams; iIt’s a tumor; it bears the fruit under the ground, so that’s why we are plowing the place, so if the soil is more loose, we get a bigger yield.”
About ten years ago, Requena earned a scholarship to take an agriculture course in the U.S. That was where she learned the basics of efficiently using the intercropping technique. Now she uses what she has learned to teach others during whatever spare time her full-time job, the family, and farming allows. A part of the farm system that Requena uses is solar-powered irrigation.
Noemi Requena
“We have a solar powered well, so we have two solar panels that pump our water from the well spot to the farm. And we have a small generator that gives us the pressure to be able to water our plants.”
Like with every other farmer, there are challenges that Requena faces. She must constantly find a way to naturally eliminate pests and to create proper drainage. And she uses all organic fertilizers that she also makes. A plus for her is that she uses pepper and cassava she harvests to make value-added products, such as pepper sauces and cassava dough. It is these kinds of efficient farming practices that the Director of Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, Andre Mejia, told us impressed the judges who selected her for the award. He says Requena satisfied the rigorous criteria.
Andrew Mejia
Andrew Mejia, Director of Extension, Ministry of Agriculture
“The judges go there, they ask questions to ensure that that is the actual farmer. No one can be a farmer of the year if they’re not the actual farmer, or if the crops on the ground are not for them. The criteria calls that she must be making a percentage of income from the farm and what she wowed the judges with is all the activities that she has going on.”
Noemi Requena
“I want us to use this platform to encourage other females that yes, we can do whatever we put our minds to, and I relate it to us being mothers to care for the little plants. We are mothers, we care for our babies, and that is what our plants need. We transplant them with care, we see them grow and they give us fruit, food, which is life.”
Noemi Requena will be presented with her prizes as Woman Farmer of the Year at the National Agriculture and Trade Show, set for May 30, 31 and June 1. Reporting for News Five, I’m Marion Ali.
The National Agriculture and Trade Show is scheduled for May thirtieth to June 1st, and Belizeans from across the country are gearing up to offer amazing deals on their products. Booth space is in high demand—every slot available has eager vendors ready to grab it. But when applications come in too late, hopeful participants are placed on a waiting list, with the chance of getting in only if someone from the main list drops out. One of those hopefuls is Chef Tim August, known for his signature breadfruit fries. Breadfruit, a locally grown staple, is also a key ingredient in his new combo chip bags. Though his application missed the deadline, August believes his unique offerings deserve serious consideration for a spot at the show.
Tim August
Tim August, Chef
“I should be there. This is where we showcase what we have in Belize, not only phones and auto and this and that. I want to go there and you see, I have my product right here. I want to showcase what we can do with our cultural produce in Belize as opposed to just having them fall under the tree and rot.”
Marion Ali
What do you do?
Tim August
“Right now, I have an ital mix here, which is a mixture of sweet potato, plantain, cassava, coco fries, but breadfruit season will be in by the end of May, so I’m sure that I’ll be able to have some breadfruit to showcase at the National Agriculture Show. I really want to do it because it’s taking traction and I really want more Belizeans to start eating breadfruit because it’s local, it’s cheaper and it’s here in abundance. So we need to start using it more.”
Marion Ali
“But why would spacing not be an issue for you?
Tim August
“Well, I have a food truck, which is only 18 foot, and I’m sure that there’s a lot of grounds, but because of the sectioning and this and that, that they did, I believe, you know, they’d want to see if somebody else would come out, so they could put me in.”
While August argues that he promotes all agricultural products, Director of the Extension Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Andrew Mejia says that spacing has been an issue for many years. Hence, he advises that early applications are important in securing a spot at the trade show. Mejia explains that there are different spaces allotted for different purposes.
Andrew Mejia, Director, Extension Dept., Ministry of Agriculture
“Every year there’s a waiting list and there’s a deadline for when. Um, they, they can pay and secure those spaces. And when those spaces, when not the line comes and the spaces are not secured, then they’re given to those who are on the waiting list. So, in that situation, it’s nothing new. It happens every year. The committee looks at who is next in line, the spaces that are available because the spaces are different. We have spaces for large companies. We have spaces for people who just want to lay a towel on the ground and place their products, and we also have spaces for those who sell beverages, who sell food, and those who also want to display what they’re doing. Spaces are always limited at their natural agriculture and trade show, so we always encourage people to come and apply early, you know, as early as January if possible.”
UDP’s Patrick Faber appeared before the Magistrate Court this afternoon, where he was arraigned with aggravated assault and obstructing a police officer. He pleaded not guilty to both offences.
Faber, 47, was granted bail of $1,000 with one surety and no conditions. He is represented by attorney OJ Elrington. The case was adjourned to June 24. Faber is said to be filing a counter-complaint.
The charges relate to an incident involving police officers during a traffic stop near the Bel-Can Bridge in the wee hours of Tuesday, April 29. Faber was accused of failing to stop at a checkpoint and was later intercepted on Buttonwood Bay Boulevard. Officers claim the vehicle he was driving was unlicensed and that he initially said his driver’s licence was at home.
Police escorted Faber to his Bay Street residence, where he later presented the licence. During the issuing of traffic tickets, PC Dante Smith alleges that Faber recorded him at close range, refused to step back, and acted in a threatening manner, actions which led to the assault and obstruction charges.
Patrick Faber appeared at the Belize City Magistrate Court this afternoon to face charges following a confrontation with police officers during a traffic stop near the Bel-Can Bridge in the wee hours of Tuesday. According to reports, Faber allegedly failed to stop at a checkpoint, which prompted officers to pursue and stop his vehicle on Buttonwood Bay Boulevard.
Police say the vehicle was unlicensed, and Faber initially claimed his driver’s licence was at home. Officers followed him to his Bay Street residence, where he later produced it. During the process of issuing traffic citations, one of the officers, PC Dantae Smith, alleges that Faber aggressively recorded him with a mobile phone at close range, refused to step back when asked, and made the officer feel threatened.
The incident was filmed and has circulated widely online. A formal complaint led to Faber’s arrest. Sources say Faber is filing a counter-complaint against the officer involved.
Faber was arrested after leaving a UDP press conference this afternoon in Belize City.
Former United Democratic Party (UDP) Collet Representative, Patrick Faber, is in police custody after being accused with aggravated assault and obstruction of a police officer. The arrest follows an incident involving a heated exchange between Faber and a police officer at a checkpoint.
The confrontation, captured on video and circulating online, allegedly took place over a disputed traffic matter. Police say the officer involved, identified as Dantae Smith, filed a complaint leading to Faber’s detention.
Faber had just spoken at a UDP press conference at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel when police approached him. He left the venue in a private vehicle, followed by officers, and later presented himself at the Queen Street Police Station, where he was officially arrested and charged. Faber has been in police custody since.
According to internal police reports, Faber was informed of the allegations before being cautioned and taken into custody. While no official public statement has been made by authorities, sources say Faber is now filing a counter-complaint against the officer involved.
Faber left the Queen Street police station moments ago, and is appearing at the Magistrate Court in Belize City.
The British Museum is facing renewed calls to return cultural objects taken during colonial expeditions, this time from Belize. San Benito Poite, a small, village in southern Belize, has formally requested the return of human remains and artefacts taken from the ancient Maya city of Pusilha nearly a century ago, along with a $1 million BZD repatriation grant.
In a signed resolution addressed to the British Museum, San Benito Poite’s Alcalde Manuel Cucul and Village Chairman Richard Caal lay out seven key demands. These include the return of all human remains to Pusilhá for proper reburial. It also seeks the repatriation of carved stelae and altars that were previously removed from the area. The museum is asked to send back a selection of ceramic and lithic objects, with transportation costs covered by the institution. The letter requests a $1 million BZD grant to build and operate a visitor centre in Pusilhá to house and interpret the artefacts. A 10-year scholarship fund is also proposed, among others.
Between 1928 and 1931, British Museum expeditions, assisted by looter Thomas Gann, removed numerous artefacts from Pusilhá without the consent of the Maya people and in violation of archaeological standards. Items including stelae, altars, pottery, and human remains were taken, often damaged during extraction, with no proper documentation or inventory kept. The museum has since admitted it does not hold legal title to many of these objects, which remain unregistered and out of public view in storage.
Authorities have launched an investigation after a shipment containing 15 pounds of high-grade cannabis was intercepted at Customs earlier this month. The drugs were found in a consolidated shipment from the United States, the type typically sent through freight services in barrels.
According to reports, a customs officer inspecting the shipment reportedly received prior calls from two colleagues asking him to monitor a specific box, which they claimed contained bath and body products. Instead, the officer found bags of cannabis, not soap and lotions. He immediately reported it to his supervisor.
The officer who made the discovery has given a statement to police. The cannabis found is reportedly of top-tier quality, with a street value estimated in the hundreds of thousands of US dollars.
Police are investigating if this could be part of a wider, long-running smuggling operation.
