New Agriculture Export Opportunities for Belize

Belmopan, June 14, 2023.

Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, and a delegation of officials from the ministry were in Mexico from June 12 to 14, attending meetings focused on opening new agriculture export opportunities for Belize.

The delegation met with Victor Villalobos Arambula, Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, the Director and senior staff of the National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad – SENASICA), and representatives from Mexico’s ministries of Agriculture and Trade. A result of the meetings is Mexico’s commitment to continue facilitating the smooth export of beef cattle from Belize and to provide full support for resuming shrimp exports from Belize to Mexico. Additionally, a new opportunity was approved for Belize to export de-husked green coconuts and the procedure to prepare protocols for exporting soybean and soybean meal was put into motion.

Also discussed was the success of the ongoing bilateral agricultural cooperation between Belize and Mexico focusing on soursop, pitahaya, dragon fruit, soybean and coconut. Minister Mai and Secretary Villalobos committed to continue strengthening the agriculture cooperation program between the two countries.

Accompanying Minister Mai were Servulo Baeza, Chief Executive Officer in the ministry; Zöe Roberson-Zetina, Managing Director of Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA); Francisco Gutierrez, Director of Plant Health at BAHA; and Hugh O’Brien, Chairman of BAHA Board of Directors and Programme Director for Diversification in the ministry.