Belmopan. December 18, 2020. 3:00 p.m.
Today, December 18, 2020, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, the Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, received a donation from the OIRSA Regional Emergency Fund to assist farmers and livestock producers affected by the recent floods.
The donation follows the virtual meeting of the Central American Ministers of Agriculture (CIRSA) which took place on November 13, 2020. During the meeting, a regional emergency was declared for Central American countries due to the devastation caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota. Under this declaration, CIRSA approved the use of OIRSA Regional Emergency funds to assist affected farmers and livestock producers with re-establishing their production systems, rescuing of animals due to flooding, and safeguarding against pest and disease outbreaks as a result of the storms. The Ministers unanimously approved a budget of US$100,000 per affected country.
The Ministry of Agriculture, along with the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, and the assistance of OIRSA Belize, developed an emergency plan for Belize and submitted it for approval. The plan primarily includes providing assistance to rescue and feed animals in flooded areas; providing seeds for vegetable farmers; and the monitoring for pests and diseases that might arise because of the flooding. The Ministry received a portion of the materials this morning.
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