On July 1, 2021, Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, was present for the initiation of a second cattle export activity between Belize and Mexico.
A brief ceremony was held in Shipyard to mark the exportation of 359 heads of cattle from Shipyard and 85 from Blue Creek with a final destination of Michoacan, Mexico. The heads of cattle have been purchased by SuKarne, a Mexican multinational corporation based in Culiacán, Mexico, which operates in the food processing industry. SuKarne annually exports the largest percentage of beef, pork, and chicken from Mexico.
In his remarks, Minister Mai praised the initiative and hard work of cattle farmers and the Belize Livestock Producers’ Association. He noted that the cattle industry is improving constantly through the collaboration of different partners, both at home and abroad, in genetic livestock improvement and in securing markets. The minister made mention of the recent embryo transplant activity hosted by Mexican experts as one of the many moves that the industry is making in the right direction.
In the coming days, animals will be loaded at Shipyard and Blue Creek for exportation. The beef cattle industry in Belize will continue improving as better-quality animals are introduced into the national herd and export markets are secured in Belize’s neighbouring countries of Guatemala and Mexico.