Fusarium Outbreak Threatens Belize’s Sugar Industry  

The sugar cane industry is facing a full-blown crisis. A fast-spreading fungal disease called fusarium is tearing through sugarcane fields across the country, infecting over sixty thousand acres and severely damaging another eighty thousand. Earlier this month, Agriculture Minister Jose Mai warned that the fight against the disease could stretch into next year. But for farmers on the ground, time is running out. They’re doing everything they can to save their crops, but without immediate help, they could lose everything. Chairman of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, Alfredo Ortega, says the situation is dire. And while the government and its partners are working to contain the outbreak, farmers are calling for urgent support before it’s too late.

 

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association

“As we speak right now, we are seeing that this fungus is really spreading very fast. And we are seeing more after this big rain that we had about a week ago where the big flooding happen. Now we are seeing the results in the cane fields right now as you cane, if you would come up north right now, you will see the damage that is ongoing. There are many meetings that is are being called right now to see how best assistance can be directed  to reduce the spreading of this fusarium. Today we had a meeting with personnel SIRDI, which they are talking to see how they can work out with the what they half a million that was granted by the Ministry of Agriculture to the farmers.”