Belize’s Beef Production Eliminates the Need for Imports

Another plus for Belize when it comes to imports, Minister Abelardo Mai, indicated that there is also no need to import beef.  He furthered that through educational efforts with the farmers, the ministry has been able to improve the quality of produce coming out of the local farms.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture: “ We have no need to import one pound of beef. We have no need to import or poultry. We have everything in this country right? Vegetables again we used to begin producing carrots only three months of the year, we went to four months, five months, six months, seven months, eight months, we’re at ten months. I believe we went too far because the last two months the carrots planted late is not of good quality it’s planted out of season we learned that this year. Every day we learn something new so we’re telling the farmers hey you cannot plant after March that’s the last month you plant because you plant March it goes through that dry weather and the carrot does not have the quality. So we’ve warned them do not expect that the government can support you or protect you if you’re planting late in the season and I thin they understand it because they themselves see the quality of the carrots it has a lot of roots, it has a lot of unsharpness , it’s not good quality and I’ve said to them you deserve the best but the public also deserves the best and so we have to have that in mind. It must be fair trade.”