Classical swine fever is a disease that affects domestic as well as wild pigs and it has devastating effects on this meat product because entire pig populations can be destroyed by the disease in affected areas. So far, Belize has been swine fever free, while the disease has appeared in neighboring countries. But one man's misfortune is another's good fortune, so fittingly Belize has taken up the slack. Just about two years ago a Guatemalan pig rearing company called Porcasa came to Belize and set up shop at Central Farm, and now they are positioning themselves to export pigs. We visited the operations in Central Farm and saw first hand how Belize will make its mark in the pork industry.
Alfonso Noble Reporting, [From Central Farm]
A pig sty is a pig sty is a pig sty, and generally it's nothing nice, unless it's one like this where premium, high priced pigs are on the cutting edge of a pioneering bi-national export program. And it's an opportunity that has presented itself because Belize is swine fever free, unlike our neighbors, the distinction opened up export opportunities for Belize. Leading the way is a Guatemalan pork producing company which has set up operations at the Central Farm facilities. We visited the project, but couldn't go in until we took a shower and changed our clothes. Eddie Castellanos is the production manager and he explained his company, Porcasa's, interest in Belize.
Eddie Castellanos, Production Manager Porcasa
[Translation] "Belize is a country free of classical swine fever that's a disease that is a barrier that countries that have the disease have to export to other countries. The company being in Belize can export to any part of Central America and any country in the world."
Those possibilities have Porcasa working on producing genetically improved breeding stocks of pigs at the Central Farm facilities.
Eddie Castellanos, Production Manager Porcasa
"The system of production follows genetic lines to make male reproducers and female reproducers. The problem is that we can't always have only males or only females. In the line where we only want females, the male is castrated and becomes a fattener for consumption. In the other case where the male is wanted the female is used for consumption."
"100% of the farm's production is through artificial insemination. The standards of quality are at world production standards."
And the world class pigs behind the project are led by boars like this. He might not look like much - but this boar is valued at $10,000! His semen is collected and used in the insemination of the sow. And within 114 days, voila! Piglets are born. These will undergo a selection process for male and female reproducers as well as those that will be used as fatteners for consumption. The final export product is breeding sows and boars that fetch a pretty decent price.
Eddie Castellanos, Production Manager Porcasa
"A boar sells for US$850 they are sold at an age of 16 to 20 weeks. At this time they have a certain guarantee that is to say that they have undergone a screening process where their semen, growth, behaviour are looked at as a control for each to have best results. It is the same with the sows but their price is lower. They go between US$330 and US$350 each."
Presently the facility has a production capacity of 100 females and 25 males per month and they are exporting to central Guatemala and Peten and very soon, Honduras. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculure, Hugh O'Brien says that this potential for exports will bring significant benefits to Belize.
Hugh O'Brien
"It's a public and private sector partnership. For us it is a pioneering one in that it is the first of its kind and it's also the first of its kind in that it's a Guatemalan company working in partnership with the Belize Ministry of Agriculture. It is the kind of relationship that Belize and Guatemala needs to have. The private sector investing in Belize achieving the same objectives we would want to achieve by supplying high quality genetic stocks of pigs to farmers. Secondly, the contract we have with them allows for the farmers in Belize and students at the college of agriculture to do training at this facility. It is also taken advantage of the fact that Belize is classical swine fever free and so Belize is a welcome country who wants to invest in pigs for export because of the status of the diseases that we have."
Benefits that are expected to increase since Porcasa has intentions of doubling present production, making Belize a player in the supply of pork to the region - even if it is with another country's pigs.
Porcasa leases the central farm facility from government. As for the local pigs that were once reared at Central Farm they have been transferred to the Ministry's Yo Creek facilities in Orange Walk where support services to farmers are offered.