SUGAR CANE FARMERS TO RECEIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Ministry of Agriculture is sending in technical assistance for sugar cane farmers in the north. During a recent visit with senior staff of the agriculture department in the Orange Walk and Corozal districts, Minister of Agriculture Rene Montero announced that two extension officers are being assigned to directly offer technical field support to cane farmers. It is a new avenue for the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Chief Executive Officer Gabino Canto told Love News today that it is a necessary move.

Gabino Canto; Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Agriculture

"The Ministry is assigning two extension officers to the SICB and they will deploy these extension officers we are need to do sugar cane extension services. At the same time our extension officers in the ministry will also be involved in sugar cane extension service."

Patrick Jones, Reporter

Why is it important for the ministry to now get involved at this level in the sugar industry?

Gabino Canto; Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Agriculture

"One of the main reasons for this is because I think the farmers need to be competitive in this changing world. To do that they need to know more or less what they need to do to produce high quality cane and increase production. Most of our cane fields up north are about nine years old. I think it is high time for them to renovate these cane fields; if they don't production will always be low. The extension officers will be going there to the villages and they will be meeting with the cane farmers and give them some advice on husbandry; the way how to produce sugar cane properly. They will also see where the ministry can intervene with regards to a new technology or new varieties of cane. At the same time we are trying to promote sugar cane resource under the Sugar Control Board."

Belize Sugar Industries processing factory at Tower Hill in Orange has been experiencing major problems since the start of the current crop year. Late last week, we were told that the factory was operating at less than seventy percent capacity and observers say the fear now is that the impact will be felt hardest among the farmers. Canto says his ministry is also concerned for the survival of the cane farmers.

Patrick Jones, Reporter

Mr. Canto, the 2009-2010 sugar crop seems to be in trouble up north; various problems at tower hill. Is this a cause for concern for the Ministry of Agriculture?

Gabino Canto; Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Agriculture

"Since the sugar cane season started the factory at tower hill seems to have problems from day to day. We are actually involved in the negotiations with them to see how best we can solve that problem. If we need to assist them technically and otherwise we have to do that because it is a national industry and we cannot sit back and say they can solve their own problems. The Minister of Agriculture is fully involved in the whole process at this point in time."

Patrick Jones, Reporter

What is likely to be the impact financially on the farmers? Some of those same farmers you are trying to help to renovate their fields.

Gabino Canto; Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Agriculture

"That is the biggest concern for us because these farmers need money to survive and also to invest in the fields. This year we are trying to assist them through the funds from the European Union to renovate some of the cane fields. We are hoping that we can do at least nine thousand acres this year. We are working aggressively to get the money on stream so that we can start to work with them to renovate the cane fields. At the same time the processing of the sugar cane. It is of major concern to us."

Canto says that the purpose of Minister Montero’s visit to the north was to get feedback from officials on the ground so that their inputs will be included in the Ministry’s plan of action for the next three years.

Gabino Canto; Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Agriculture

"To ensure that we have our acts together, look at the progress that we did in 2009 and also look at the 2010 activities. This is so that we can stream line the entire ministry's activities. For instance, we are emphasizing food security and also export. We want to export agricultural products. This means income generation for the farmers as well as import substitution. This will give the staff the support that they need to ensure that we achieve our goals for the next three years 2010 to 2012."

Patrick Jones, Reporter

How realistic is the goal to make Belize self sufficient where food in concerned?

Gabino Canto; Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Agriculture

"First of all when it comes to basic foods such as corn, beans, rice and meat we are pretty sure that we are self sufficient in those areas. With regards to vegetables we are new technology of green houses or covered strutures to ensure that we can produce our own vegetables as well. As you may have notices, in December the price for the green pepper remained at about two dollars and fifty cents a pound. This is a direct contribution of the innovative technology of covered structures and the green houses that are just coming to production."

Canto says the Ministry’s goal is to facilitate the installation of a total fifteen of the production greenhouse units. Seven have been completed so far, and Canto says when all fifteen at working at peak capacity, Belizean consumers will see a dramatic decrease in the cost of vegetables at the market.


source: lovefm