Important Agriculture Road in the West to be Paved

The road from Bullet Tree Village to the Spanish Lookout Community is a lifeline for Belize’s agricultural sector, with farmers transporting livestock and grains along this route every day. Now, this crucial stretch is getting a much-needed upgrade. On Friday, a groundbreaking ceremony in Santa Familia Village marked the start of paving the nine and a half miles. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the details.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On Friday, the Government of Belize kicked off an exciting project to pave nine and a half miles of road from the Spanish Lookout Community to Bullet Tree Village. Orlando Habet, the Area Representative for Cayo Northeast, highlighted the road’s significance, noting that over fifty percent of Belize’s cattle exports to Guatemala travel this route. This upgrade is set to boost the nation’s economic growth by improving this vital thoroughfare.

 

Orlando Habet, Area Rep., Cayo Northeast

“For many years we have been looking through various administrations to get this road paved, because it is heavily trafficked. We have hundreds of workers that come this side and work In Spanish Lookout. We have farmers who have access to their farms through this road and as I mentioned, very important, because sixty to seventy percent of all the cattle that goes to Guatemala passes through this road. All the corn and all the beans exported pass through this road. When we have flooding events it is important, because apart from those commodities, we have chicken, egg, beef, milk, ice cream, you name it, all the food items that has to pass through here when the lower lying bridges are closed. So, it is important.”

 

Habet also pointed out that this project will boost property values along the road and open up new opportunities for tourism in the area. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and the Spanish Lookout Community. According to Julius Espat, the Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing, the community is even pitching in to help finance part of the work.

 

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing

“This project is a special project, because it is a public, private venture. It is the Spanish Lookout community coming together with government and financing the project to make it work. It was one of the ways we found to fast track the bureaucratic way of doing road construction. So I would like to sincerely thank the Credit Union of Spanish Lookout who I know are the people with the cheese, so thank you very much and the leadership of Mr. Reimer of Spanish Lookout.”

Cayo North Area Representative Michel Chebat was also present at the groundbreaking ceremony in Santa Familia Village. He says this is phase one of Plan Belize. The work is expected to be completed in eighteen months.

 

Michel Chebat, Area Rep., Cayo North

“It is important because it will enhance the lives of all our citizens in the area. It will make commerce better. It will make access to education, agriculture, all the lands around here, the value of these lands will appreciate. So it is a win-win situation. It represents a commitment and a belief by government in the residents and the people of Belize. This government believes in our people, and we are working to make the lives of our people better. This is just another example of that commitment to making people’s lives better under Plan Belize. This is Plan Belize phase one, because in a few months we are going to have phase two of plan Belize.”

 

Joyce Tun, Chairlady, Santa Familia

“We can attest to the fact that from day one when this government came into power we saw the roads upgraded and keeps being upgraded and maintained. And we can say it is not only talk and talk, but you also walk the talk and this is important to us.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.