Could Belizean Products Hit Bahamian Shelves?

A visit for Belize’s National Agriculture and Trade Show is quickly turning into something bigger for a high-level delegation from The Bahamas. Instead of simply checking out the showgrounds, Bahamian agriculture and trade officials are using their time here to take a closer look at how Belize feeds itself, and what it can offer the region. Early in the week, the delegation met with Minister of Agriculture Rodwell Ferguson and senior officials for straight talk about shared challenges: managing food imports and exports, improving farm productivity, and finding practical ways to work together. Then came the hands-on part. The delegation left the meeting room and hit the ground, touring some of Belize’s key production and processing facilities to see how local agriculture really works. From Caribbean Processing (CPBL) to Marie Sharp’s Fine Foods, Silk Grass Farms, the Santander Sugar Factory, and BSI’s Tower Hill facility, each stop offered insight into a different side of Belize’s agri-business potential. The goal is simple but strategic, understand what Belize produces, how it’s processed, and which products could realistically find a home on Bahamian shelves. And the tour isn’t finished yet. More site visits are planned in the Stann Creek and Cayo districts ahead of the agriculture and trade show. As the delegation continues its field work, both sides are clearly looking beyond a single event. The conversations now underway could pave the way for stronger trade ties, and more Belizean products making their way to The Bahamas.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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