Food security is not necessarily limited to the availability of food in the country. It also refers to affordability of food to the masses of the Belizean people. What is the use of having rice, beans, corn, flour and chicken if our people cannot afford to purchase it?

Today, less than 100 days after elections, fuel has increased on three separate occasions while basic food commodities such as flour has increased by 30%, beans by 20%, rice by 25% and the most widely consumed meat in the country; chicken, by 28%.

Farmers throughout the country are finding it difficult to continue business and several are making arrangements to abandon their farms (critical to food supply). With the drastic increase of fuel prices, critical for irrigation and for transporting food to the market, the sharp increase of chemical fertilizers to more than 100% and the demand for greater wages by farmhands, farm owners have been left in awe with the only alternative being to close down operations.

This year sugar cane production is expected to shrink by at least 12% to 20% due the effects of hurricane Dean and again the surge in the price of fuel, fertilizers and pesticides. Information received from the Sugar Authority indicates that with less than 50 milling days left, BSI has merely processed 65,000 tons of sugar. Last year BSI processed approximately 97,000 tons of sugar from 1.2 million tons of sugar cane. This year’s estimates show a “scrapedog” production of 1 million tons of sugar cane yielding a tearful 80,000 tons of sugar (source: Belize Sugar Industry Control Board). This clearly indicates that foreign exchange earnings will reduce significantly while farming families will be affected by a shortfall of desperately needed income.

Sugarcane farmers have been signaling that with soaring prices in fuel/oils and fertilizers, farmers will not be able to apply the proper cultural practices to re-establish the desired yields of sugar cane fields leading to further reduction in production and productivity.

In the northern districts, onion producers have been experiencing serious marketing problems. With the bulk of onions being produced in OW and Corozal, farmers are in angst with the current marketing situation. This year’s production increased by 38% while productivity increased by 20%. Onions constitute a seasonal but major income earner for the farmers. The serious marketing problems are due primarily to unscheduled production, limited storage and large scale and illegal onion importation from neighboring Mexico.  The onion producers have met with government to discuss the problems but no clear solution has been identified. Producers have been marketing onions at substandard market prices causing major losses and erosion of much needed income to be used for the upcoming vegetable season.  With the increase of fuel prices, fertilizer and other agro inputs it is likely that the next onion season will be many acres short leading to large scale importation and the hemorrhaging of valuable foreign exchange.

In a meeting held recently between rice producers and the government, the farmers were requested to lower the whole sale price of rice on the local market. The same has been requested from the onion producers in order to enhance competition and discourage the illegal importation of onions.

It’s unfair and impractical for the government to call on the productive sector to reduce the price of commodities when in fact no incentives have been provided to reduce the cost of production. On the contrary the cost of production for agriculture goods have sky rocketed in the last 90 days and the government has refused to consider this as a priority issue. There has been no meaningful contribution from government’s side to address the increasing food prices and to indicate what policies, programs or measures will be adopted to make food available to all Belizeans.

Clearly it seems that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet do not understand the farmers and people of this country. The Prime Minister in a recent interview clearly indicated that there is not much that his government can do to reduce the increasing high cost of food.

While despair and imminent bankruptcy glare farmers in their faces, banks expedite the “sell out” process and families struggle to put food on the table, our Prime Minster and his cabinet stand idly saying that there is nothing that can be done.

Apparently the Government’s order of the day is not aimed at addressing the food security issue; instead energies are being emphasized on ways to victimize the very same public servants which can contribute to finding solutions to the crisis. Intellectuals, knowledgeable, open-minded and experienced government officers have been fired. Others have been held at ransom and maliciously placed in non -functional positions as a way of punishment. Government’s endeavors should be poised at governing for the betterment of its people as opposed to victimizing.

The Prime Minister and his government must take immediate steps to address this crisis. The relevant ministries and partners in development must realize that there is an urgent need for both public and private sector to work together collectively to find ways to create conditions for sustainable investments that will restore agriculture production and food security in Belize. Ultimately, incentives must be provided for enhanced domestic food production. Solution forums must be held to discuss alternatives to reduce food cost and to stimulate primary and secondary production and productivity bearing in mind that priority should be focused on feeding our people first.

Mr. Prime Minister, if these same “bread and butter” issues that you appeared to be passionate about during your pre- election campaign are not dealt with properly you will bring about a cascade of other crises, putting at greater risk the economic and social welfare of the Belizean people.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!