And from sugar to fish: the Northern and National Fishermen's Cooperatives in Belize City are losing business to private entities namely Fein-Catch and Rainforest Seafood.
These private businesses are buying lobster from the fishermen at 31 or even 32 dollars a pound, while the cooperatives offer $28.
But the cooperatives are unable to raise their prices, putting them in jeopardy. Today we asked the Agriculture Minister, Jose Mai, about this. He said that we're moving to the world of an open market, and it will force the cooperatives to get more competitive and to manage their monies better.
Hon. Jose Mai - Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise
"What this does is that it makes any organization have to be more competitive. They have to be better managers and they have to lower their costs. So, this again is competition, and it forces organizations to manage their business well. There are many cooperatives that are indebted to their neck. And many times, it is the administrators. There was a cooperative in Orange Walk, the honeybee cooperatives, it closed down because they were so indebted. The members borrowed and never paid. Sometimes those that work in the cooperatives borrow and never pay. That is unfair. So, when the producer brings his product, they use it to pay somebody else debt which is unfair to the producer. So, those who manage these cooperatives have to manage them well so that they can be competitive and so that the small producer gets his value worth."
Courtney Menzies
"But are you concerned that the Northern or the National Cooperative may go under considering they are not really in a position to increase the amount they are buying the lobster for?"
Hon. Jose Mai
"I have not seen the numbers but I am certain my registrar has and I am certain that is something we want to discuss today as we meet with the cooperatives."
Today, Mai did a tour of the National Cooperative.
