Yesterday in the village of San Roman Rio Hondo, the Progressive Sugar Cane Producers Association - along with UNDP and other agencies had a project launch for the establishment of a bio factory to produce eco friendly fertilizers.
The idea is to enhance soul health and climate reliance while also escaping the soaring cost of imported fertilizers. Here's more from the Ceremony on the San Luis Road in the Orange Walk District:
Ginnel Ozaeta, Program director, PSCPA
"At it's core this project is about one thing, helping our farmers remain productive, profitable and resilient in changing agricultural landscapes, the sugar industry continues to face many challenges, farmers are experiencing rising production costs, increasing pressures for climate variability, declining soil health and emerging threats such as the fusarium disease, these challenges not only affect you but also the long term sustainability of farming families and communities throughout northern Belize. As an organization representing over 800 cane farmers we recognize we cannot continue addressing tomorrow's challenge with yesterday's solutions this is why progressive with the support of the global environment facilities small grants programs is embarking on initiative that is both innovative and profitable. This project will establish Belize's first farmer led bio factory complete with a technical laboratory dedicated to the production of eco friendly bio fertilizers. What makes this intuitive unique is that it places farmers at the center of the solution. Too often farmers are viewed solely as consumers of agricultural products, through this project our farmers become producers, innovators and stewards of sustainable agriculture."
John Briceno, Minister of the Sugar Industry
"Well we know that our Cane farmers have been going through a very difficult time but for us in Belize in the north it is more than just an industry it is a way of life, it is cultural and it is important for us to be able to find innovative ways to help our farmers and our farmers have to innovate. They have to change."
"And the overuse of chemicals and pesticides really destroy our soils using biological, methods to be able to inject into the soil, to be able to enrich the soil and by extension, for us to be able to have, better yields of our sugar cane."
Reporter
"How will an effort like this help home grown efforts to remain competitive?"
John Briceno, Minister of the Sugar Industry
"Because the costs continue to go up you know it makes it almost impossible for a cane farmer to be able to be profitable. And so you see now, a number of them are leaving the sugar cane industry to go into cattle but we can't allow that to happen in the North. So we have to find ways. And I said we have to innovate. And this is one way. So we are hoping that our farmers will then understand the necessity, the need to innovate, to make changes and to be able to find more effective, efficient ways to be able to increase their productivity. And this is certainly one that is and the expectation is that it is going to be cheaper."
"Once this starts to work and we expect it to be successful and we can then convince other industries and say, look, we can increase productivity. And, so then for you to be able to use. So I do believe that you know I'm, I'm optimistic by nature that we will be able to do more and to be able to assist the other industries here in the North and also in the rest of the country."
