It's a serious step towards the beginning of Coconut exportation into Mexico through the addition of a processing unit, installed at the Belize Marketing Development Corporation facilities. They gave us a tour of the compound today along with some ministers and other officials, providing insight on all they have done to assist farmers in selling their produce. Jomarie Lanza has this story.
At times it can be difficult for small scale farmers to sell their produce, but by adding value to their product like turning fruits into pulp, prepping coconuts for exportation, and locally packaging products like rice, sugar, and honey, they may finally see a profitable return on their investment. Thats what the Belize Marketing Development corporation is there for, consolidating products for these farmers. And as of recently they have expanded their line of products.
Sergio Tillett, Senior Project Officer, BMDC
"Over the past four years what you see here didn't exist there is a lot that came around like for example the structure we are standing under it wasn't here so primarily importation was our business in the past and everything was done manually and now we have forklifts moving products so everything is done much faster and more reliably. And from there we have done a whole lot that we had to showcase today like for example the main one we are trying to deal with are the three products that we promote, like for the honey, the pulps and also the rice. The rice in the south has seen major improvements. We have gone from about 100,000 pounds of Paddy a year and in three years we have gone to 3 million pounds so farmers are benefitting a lot more right. When it comes to the honey the Honey has remained more or less stagnant, the same production almost every year but what we have added to that line is the different equipment that we bring IN for the beekeepers because in the past they had to buy or or source their own thing and now whatever they need we get it and with the cooperatives they get their equipment on credit so when they harvest their honey then they pay us back. When it comes now to the fruit pulps that was the newest addition we have new packaging as you may have seen because at first it was only the 2 pound bags that we had and now we have the 2 pounds bucket and also the 6 pounds bucket so all of this is readily available for the market."
Tillett says that presently they work with 180 farmers in the rice industry. They also buy fruits from 16 fruit farmers ranging from dragon fruit to soursop, passion fruit and mango. And they hope to increase their Beekeeping partnership which stands at 21 from a cooperative in the Orange walk district, and 3 others who are also independent. But their biggest investment as of late has been into the coconut industry, one which will launch Belize into major opportunities for exportation as the demand for coconuts grows.
Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture & Food Security
"Well it is not only stabilising the vegetable supply chain but BMDC has now transformed. The role of BMDC is to consolidate products for the farmers and 2 provide technical assistance storage assistance and now we are working as a packing operations unit where we have invested in a packing facility to start the exportation of coconuts shortly. We expect to start exporting coconuts next month and tomorrow we will do the first trial and we will see if we can adjust the equipment to what we are doing and we hope to export and finalise that tomorrow and next month we make our first shipment to Mexico. I will admit to you that Belize is the only country so far that has been able to export coconuts to Mexico given the conditions that they told us which is green coconuts with husk. We want to thank the Mexican government for that. And we from our numbers only the northern part of the country we are going to have by next year early next year 5 million coconuts to export."
Mai predicts that by the first quarter of next year they will have up to 30 million units of coconuts ready for exportation. He says that won't be the only achievement he has his heart set on: the real goal is to grow more of what we eat.
Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture & Food Security
"The farmers in the south are expanding their rice production and there needs to be an expansion because the demand for rice is there. The demand for rice has increased, the demand for poultry has increased, the demand for pork and beef have increased in the country. People are eating well and it is a good thing to know and so as the demand for food increases we have to produce more for the country and our goal is if we can produce everything in the country and not import everything we are on the right track and that is where we are right now."
And because the Orange Walk district is known for its high concentration of farmers Bernard wanted to see for himself today how some of his constituents are benefitting from what the BMDC has to offer, he says he was impressed by the tour.
Kevin Bernard, Area Representative, Orange Walk East
"Farmers are able to, able to benefit from, looking at diversification. We are looking at, I mean, you see the various uses of local produce being made into other products. And so, farmers have access to better equipment. You are now seeing we are in the South.I remember when in the initial stage discussing with the whole, Toledo, rice growers at the time when they were saying, oh, we're not producing, now from 270,000 in 3 years and a half, they have gone to almost three over 3 million in paddies and so that's shows progress, that shows development, know people are benefiting those 30 plus farmers in the South that are benefiting. Likewise here in the north we have a lot of people utilise it and BMDC buys these products from them. Now what I do appreciate is the fact that the BMDC packaging their products and putting it in the market. I do understand that they did ask the question that they had right now in the San Pedro area, but they are planning to do it countrywide in other supermarkets. And so I think it's great work and it's a benefit. It's a win-win situation for everyone."
