The Belize government is welcoming the decision by Mexican authorities to allow it to export cattle to the South American country.
A statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security & Enterprise noted that while on previous occasions, Mexico would only allow cattle to be exported from the Orange Walk District, it has now agreed to allow cattle to be exported from all over Belize.
“The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security & Enterprise is pleased to report that the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA, which is Mexico’s equivalent of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority) has granted approval for the entire country of Belize to export cattle to Mexico,” the statement said, adding that the approval is a direct result of the bilateral meeting on agriculture held in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, between Belize and Mexico in July 2021.
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It said other approvals granted were for Belizean veterinarians under the Regional International Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) to inspect cattle under quarantine and for BAHA to certify corrals for quarantine.
“Of note is that, previously, only the Orange Walk District was cleared for cattle export, and only SENASICA veterinarians could inspect cattle for export approval and certify quarantine corrals. These approvals will facilitate the trade of cattle between Belize and Mexico by decreasing the costs of exportation and thus bringing more benefits to Belizean farmers,” the government statement added.
Cattle exports to Mexico have been valued at approximately BDZ$1.5 million (One Belize dollar=US$0.49 cents) since 2020, and the prospects for export continue to improve as Belize and Mexico continue exploring coordination of their systems of phytosanitary control and expansion of partial scope agreements to enhance trade between the two countries.
In May, the Belize Livestock Producers Association and Belize Livestock Producers Association (BLPA) said they welcomed the announcement by Mexican president Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador to waive the 15 percent import duty on all cattle being imported into Mexico from Belize.
“The announcement by the Mexican president will contribute significantly to the development of the cattle industry in Belize and further consolidates the ability of local cattle farmers to maximize their revenues from the growing cattle trade with our friendly neighbor, Mexico, especially since we now have two major export outlets for our cattle, Guatemala and Mexico,” the BLPA, added.
“It is our view that the decision by President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador is a strategic one that resulted from continuous lobbying efforts by the government of Belize in close collaboration with the Belize Livestock Producers Association,” it added.
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