Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries

14/07/2026

Day 2 of the Stann Creek West North Zone Summer camp welcomed even more participants, as students got familiar with topics in Livestock. They learnt about rearing of pigs, cows, sheep and poultry, and about diseases and ilnesses affecting these animals, such as the New World Screwworm.
After a theory session students went out for a practical session, where they inspected sheep, checked vital signs and even helped inject dewormer.

13/07/2026

Day 1 of the Stann Creek West Youth in Agriculture Summer Camp being held at the Agriculture and Natural Resource Institute, ANRI. Minister Ferguson opened the summer camp with remarks, challenging the students to engage their new knowledge at home with backyard gardens.
The camp continues until Friday 17 July, with the students participating in Horticulture, Livestock, Beekeeping, Agroprocessing, and Aquaculture.

13/07/2026

10/07/2026

July 9, 2026:
July 8–9, 2026 marked a significant milestone for the beekeeping sector in Belize with the successful Official Launch of the Honey Traceability System Registry and the completion of two-day TrazarAgro Platform Training.
This initiative, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries in collaboration with OIRSA, brought together Extension Officers, officers from the Belize Marketing and Development Corporation (BMDC) and also officers from the Policy Unit and key stakeholders, including the , Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the Belize Beekeepers Livelihood Project (BLPA), to strengthen Belize's honey industry through improved traceability, food safety, quality assurance, and efficient data management.
The official launch was honored by the presence of the Hon. Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, and Mr. Servulo Baeza, Chief Executive Officer, reaffirming the Government of Belize's commitment to modernizing the beekeeping sector and creating greater market opportunities for Belizean honey.
Over the two days, participants successfully completed comprehensive hands-on training on the TrazarAgro Platform, gaining the knowledge and skills required to register beekeepers, apiaries, and honey production data, ensuring full traceability from hive to market.
With the training now completed, the Ministry's Extension Officers will begin populating the system with beekeepers' information across the country. This important phase will establish Belize's national honey traceability database and support improved planning, monitoring, and market access. A follow-up technical session is scheduled in approximately two months to review progress, provide additional support, and continue strengthening implementation of the system.
We extend our sincere appreciation to OIRSA, Ing. Fermín Blanco, Ing. Ever Hernández, our Ministry officials, BMDC, BAHA, IICA, BLPA, Extension Officers, and all participants whose dedication and collaboration made this initiative a success.

09/07/2026

07/07/2026

July 7, 2026:
The Toledo Agriculture Department, in collaboration with Animal Health (OIRSA) and the Cooperative Department, conducted a training session on Animal Health and New World Screwworm (NWS) Awareness, Prevention, and Control in Trio Village on Tuesday, 7th July 2026 for members of los Buenos amigos cooperative. The workshop brought together 27 active participants, mainly livestock farmers from the surrounding communities. The training focused on the prevention, identification, treatment, and management of New World Screwworm infestations. In addition, presenters discussed common animal health challenges encountered at the farm level and shared practical recommendations to help farmers improve livestock health and productivity.

07/07/2026

July 6, 2026:
The Belize Fishermen's Co-operative Association held its Annual General meeting today at the conference room of Northern Fishermen's Co-operative. Following an extended period of inactivity, the BFCA now seeks to regroup, re-assess its objectives, and strategically plan its way forward. Today's meeting was attended by delegates from member co-operatives, local NGO's, and representatives of the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organizations(CNFO). CEO in the Office of the Prime Minister Mrs. Narda Garcia was guest speaker. Other remarks were made by Mr. Mitchell Lay, Program Coordinator, CNFO and Mr. Gareth Murillo, Registrar of Co-operatives. Updates on the recent activities and a status of the finances were also presented. The meeting concluded with a pledge from all to support the mobilisation and sustainability of the BFCA.

05/07/2026

July 4, 2026:
On the occasion of the International Day of Co-operatives, the Department of Co-operatives today hosted events to commemorate the day. Held in San Antonio, Cayo in collaboration with that community's Village Council, the event included a ceremony followed by a mini-expo. Special guest remarks for the ceremony were made by Mr. Michael Lund, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Belize. He spoke on the work of UNDP in Belize and gave a history of the co-operative movement in his home country of Denmark. Dr. Victoriano Pascual, Chief Agriculture Officer, represented the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and New Growth Industries and made comments on the importance of small farmers' organization and the work of the various units of the Ministry. Mr. Gareth Murillo, Registrar of Co-operatives also addressed the gathering noting the history of the day while also mentioning the plans and programs of the Department. The expo that followed saw the participation of co-operatives from the Cayo District and MSME's invited by the village council along with stakeholders that included the Extension Services, Bureau of Standards, BMDC, PCB, CARDI, CRESAP, SAIB, and IICA. The Department of Co-operatives thanks all who participated in today's event.

04/07/2026

July 4, 2026
Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in San Pedro Columbia

Twenty-five farmers participated in a training session on Sustainable Backyard Agriculture, Composting, and Organic Fertilizer Production, facilitated by the Toledo Agriculture Department in collaboration with Home of Indigenous Arts Belize Limited. Topics included composting and soil preparation, as well as vegetable seedling nursery establishment and management, helping farmers build more sustainable and productive backyard gardens.