Farmers in La Gracia fear that thousands of sacks of potato may rot

BBN Staff: In 2017, Breaking Belize News broke the story on the potato crisis that farmers were facing in Western Belize due to massive importation of potato.

Today, farmers from the quiet village of La Gracia called us once again to share their frustration.

The village is made up of hard-working farmers who cultivate the land by planting potatoes, carrots, beans, and corn. Farming is a family business at this community and the only source of income for most families.

The farmers are in trouble since thousands of sacks of potatoes that they harvested are rotting since vendors are not purchasing it from them. This is because government has allowed for massive importation of potatoes to the country, according to the farmers.

Farmers say that the overflow of Mexican potatoes into the local market has drastically affected the prices.

“This problem is affecting the farmers economically because the productions are really low due to a prolonged dry season this year,” a farmer explained to us.

The farmers say that they are once again faced with the risk of having the potatoes at their farms rotten.

They are now making a plea to the Minister of Agriculture to do something about this situation because they cannot afford to lose all that they have invested.

Today in Belize, the papaya industry has collapsed, the banana and sugar industries are struggling and now, the potato farmers fear that the local potato industry will also collapse.

 

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