The Leader of the opposition held a press briefing today on a wide range of subjects - including carrots allegedly rotting in the fields of Orange Walk South.
The UDP says this is due to Import permits issued to PUP cronies which displace the locally grown carrots.
The Leader of the Opposition explained:
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"And the complaint by the farmers is that it's all politics and it's all corruption. So the Minister gives all of these permits to import the produce that the farmers of Belize are selling."
"And so nobody wants to consume their product when the people that bring it in may sell it for much cheaper because they may be in a position to do so."
"Everything should be done to assist small farmers especially, but all farmers, all Belizean farmers to sell their produce before we get to any distribution of importation license for those that are farmers or selling. And so here we are again, the cards are rotting."
"The matter is politicized, the matter is croney-ized."
"It has become an nepotistic adventure with the small farmers who rely on selling their produce disadvantages and put in a position where they can't feed their families."
"They cannot educate their children because they can't generate any revenues."
A release this evening from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise calls the UDP's statements, quote, "irresponsible, baseless, and libelous."
The release says that "No import permits for carrots have been issued since November 2023." And it adds that "contraband vegetables are not affecting the market at present….All carrots currently on the market are of Belizean origin. Present market conditions….indicate that the Orange Walk, Corozal and Cayo districts are harvesting and causing a temporary situation of market saturation where prices are low because of high supply." End quote.
The Ministry says market conditions "should eventually adjust favourably for farmers."
