Belize Transfers CIRSA Presidency to Guatemala

Belize has officially handed over the presidency of the International Regional Committee on Agricultural Health (CIRSA), concluding a year of leadership focused on strengthening agricultural health and food security across Central America.

Minister of Agriculture Rodwell Ferguson transferred the post to Guatemala’s Minister of Agriculture, María Fernanda Rivera Dávila, during the 73rd CIRSA meeting now underway in Guatemala City.

CIRSA brings together agriculture ministers from across the region and provides oversight to OIRSA, the agency responsible for safeguarding plant and animal health. Belize assumed the presidency in April 2025 during meetings held in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

As part of the transition, Minister Ferguson presented a report outlining Belize’s contributions over the past year and received a symbolic token of appreciation for the country’s leadership.

Regional ministers are currently addressing key challenges, including the spread of the New World Screwworm, a growing threat to livestock production in Central America.