So far on our newscast, we've shown you our interviews with Prime Minister John Briceño and Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay. That press encounter happened this morning when government officials joined farmers from Shipyard for another shipment of market-ready cattle that was produced in Belize.
Last year, we showed you the first cattle exports which Farmers sold to the company, SuKarne. In the months that have followed, Belize has formally established a cattle trade with Mexico, and so, the informal trade to Guatemala is no longer the only route.
Our news team was in Shipyard for a major export ceremony, and Daniel Ortiz has that story:
For today's export from Cacabix, Shipyard, a little over 200 heads of cattle were loaded into trucks that were on their way to Mexico. The cattle ranchers from Northern Belize continue to sell to the company, SUKARNE, which will distribute these Belizean meats in different parts of Mexico.
Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai - Minister of Agriculture
"Today, we exported 266 heads of cattle to Mexico. Those will leave the border today en route to Veracruz, where they will rest some 48 hours. They will feed them, give them water, and then off they go to Michoacán. I am told that our animals first were slaughtered and they were distributed on the Mexican market, but I'm also now told that an update to that is that our beef has now seen its way all the way into Canada, which means that we have quality beef, acceptable by Canada."
But make no mistake… gone are the days of those one-off or infrequent shipments of Belizean cattle into Mexico. A full export industry has been established with weekly transactions taking place between Belizean ranchers and SUKARNE.
Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai
"Today, we're doing 800 animals a week. Now that has moved from what was maybe once-a-week export to constantly now. Every day we have exports happening. It means that it has become a full-time operation. That means that we have to have vets employed full-time on the farm. We have to have people inspecting full-time. It's a daily routine now. So, it's a substantial expansion from where we began to where we are now. That brings some challenges, first the cash flow. For you to be selling 800 animals weekly, it means you have to be buying 800 animals weekly. That's close to a million dollars that you need to be investing weekly. So, if you quarantine them for 21 days, you're talking about 3 weeks. So, you need to have $800,000 [times 3] until you start getting paid for the first one. So, it's a substantial, capital investment in cash to buy cattle, secondly, the investment to have the infrastructure in place, the pasture ready, certified by BAHA, the coral, certified by SENASICA."
Henry Anderson - Chairman, DFC Board of Directors
"What we expect to happen is SuKarne will issue a contract with Mr. Wall, and that will then allow him to contract with the farmers, the small farmers that he buys from. DFC, we're supporting that whole process, providing the cash flow to ensure that the cattle can come here, stay for 21 days, and then go out. That requires capital. They have -I think - every 2 weeks, they're exporting out 300-400 heads of cattle. So, that requires capital to buy feed for 21 days, until you get paid. So, DFC is coming to provide the cash flow to hold up the economic value chain that's been created."
This is an export market that is fully supported by the Government of Belize.
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"But, how is it that you fight poverty? How is it that you reduce poverty? You do not eliminate poverty by giving out a cheque. You do not eliminate poverty by hands out. You eliminate poverty by growing the economy, creating opportunities for our people, creating opportunities for our farmers. This is Plan Belize in action. This is ensuring that our government has a complete and deep understanding and commitment, first to be able to reduce poverty. We're importing over a billion dollars more than what we export, and this is something that we cannot continue to afford because if we continue to import more than what we export, the day will come more sooner than later that we are going to run out of foreign currency, in effect, US dollars. And if we don't have foreign currency to pay for our imports, we ARE going to have a devaluation."
Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai
"The number of cattle farmers is close or similar to the number of sugar [cane] farmers. We have 5,400 sugar cane farmers. We have 5,693 cattle farmers."
Johann Wall
"It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this historic moment. Never before have we witnessed such a gathering of players in one place with the main objective to strengthen the cattle industry."
Mindy Garcia - Manager, BLPA
"We want to see farmers benefiting from value-added products. To achieve this, BLPA encourages a green livestock industry by promoting agroforestry and agro silvopastoral systems aimed at improving access to high-value markets."
Jeffery Reimer - Chairman, BLPA
"[For] many years, we have had a lot of politicians promising this and that, and not necessarily, [do] everything always happens. But, I really would just like to commend Hon. Minister Jose Mai. He's a man of his word. We have seen so much movement in the last year or year and a half."
And the government wants to see this new market grow and expand, where farmers get the best price for their produce, in order to maximize their rate of return.
Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai
"When you see these people on the road transporting, instead of stopping them, thank them, and tell them, off you go. You are helping to build this country. I have policemen [who] do the same. As they see the cattle truck coming, they are already making up their faces, mad. Let me see your transport license. Let me see your driver's license. Your light is not working. See your ticket here. Let us facilitate the process. We know that if they're breaking the law, they are breaking the law. They must be corrected. But, let us not make that an excuse to stop them, and try to make something off the farmers. It is because of these people that we are getting a salary today."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay - Minister of Foreign Affair/Foreign Trade
"I want to give the assurance of my ministry, and I believe that I can speak for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture as well that we will stand by the livestock farmers. We will not rest until we get the tariff into Mexico reduced substantially or preferably removed. That is our objective. Those are my instructions, and we're working diligently to achieve them."
The Government officials tell us that this nascent export industry between Belize and Mexico will feature as part of the conversation with the Mexican President when he makes an official visit to Belize.
