And aside from getting control of the disease, is there anything that can be done to enhance the quality of cane among the healthy crops? As the sargassum situation worsens along the coast of Belize, is there any potential to turn one problem into the solution for another?
We asked Mai if they have explored the possibility of using the sargassum as fertilizer in the fields. He says that it is a lot more complex than it seems. He explained why.
Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture
"I've read some articles on sargassum one of my CEO's son did some research on sargassum in Universidad de Quintana Roo and I think the results from his research showed that sargassum doesn't have any high nutrient value and it also has some heavy led in it. I think it has some heavy metals in it and so im not sure but my colleague in dominion republic the minister of agriculture says that there is a company in DR that is using sargassum for fertiliser."
"Using it, processing it and using it along with other things for fertiliser so we discussed it in cabinet yesterday and so we are asking some of our partners in development to help us organise so we can take a look at what they are doing in the Dominican Republic and if it something that can be replicated in Belize."
