Contirbuted: The Government of Belize (GOB) through the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and with financing totalling BZ$50 Million from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and participating beneficiaries has embarked on a six-year Programme, Resilient Rural Belize (RRB), which aims to minimize the impacts of climatic and economic events on small farmers while supporting sustainable market access for their produce.
The GOB-MED/RRB signed a contract today with A&N Construction for the upgrade of a farm feeder road in Trio Village, Toledo District. The farm roadway enhancement runs approximately 3.9 miles along the frontage of a series of local farms situated in Trio Village. This feeder road was primarily designed to provide year-round access for the Trio farmers to support climate-resilient productivity and improved market access through rehabilitation and provision of enhanced road and drainage. The contract signed is worth approximately $1.86 Million Belize dollars.
The Trio community hosts the Cooperativa Los Buenos Amigos Co-operative, a small farmer co-operative RRB is working with, which produces pineapples on approximately 31 acres of land in the village. However, its members have been severely limited in their ability to efficiently move their products from the farms to markets because of the condition of the feeder roads. Originally, access was limited to tractor trails leading into the community that were best usable only during the dry season. During the rainy season, produce had to be brought out either by tractor, horse-drawn carriages or by 4×4 vehicles when possible.
The enhancement of the farm feeder road investment will benefit this community with an estimated 188 households and a population of 899. Directly it will benefit other cacao, coconut and citrus farmers residing in the Village. In addition, other farmers in the surrounding areas will also benefit from the enhancement of the road.
On hand at the signing ceremony were the Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai (Sr.), Minister of Agriculture Food Security and Enterprise; Hon. Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Youth, Sports and Transport, Hon. Andre Perez, Minister of the Blue Economy, Hon. Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of National Defense and Border Security, Hon. Oscar Mira, Minister of State in the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security, Acting Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Economic Development, Mr. Carlos Pol; and Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labor and Local Government Mr. Valentino Shal and Pastor Julio Rivera, Chairman, Cooperativa Los Buenos Amigos Co-operative.
