Belmopan. August 28, 2023.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has successfully conducted coconut tree management training in the Orange Walk and Toledo Districts.
The two training sessions were part of the advisory services of a JICA project called COVID-19 Agricultural Value Chain Improvement in Belize, which commenced in February 2023. 28 coconut farmers from each of the districts participated in the two sessions. Through lectures and hands-on practice, they learnt various coconut tree management skills such as agro-ecological management, pest and disease management, hybridization, marketing, and organic fertilizer production. Mr. Enrique Rivas and Mr. David Nabet from MAFSE, Mr. Edgar White from the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), and several technicians from the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AMEXCID) Sembrando Vida project conducted a series of lectures and practical sessions. In closing the training in each district, the lecturers and Mr. Kenichi Machida, the JICA Project team leader, presented participation certificates.
The participants are expected to apply knowledge and techniques learned in the training to increase production and improve the quality of coconuts they produce. The next training session for coconut farmers, designed to strengthen their marketing, is scheduled for February 2024.
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