Minister of Agriculture, Fооd Ѕесurіtу, аnd Еntеrрrіѕе (MAFSE) Јоѕе Аbеlаrdо Маі tours carrot farm in San Carlos

Published by BBN Staff at May 14, 2021

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Posted: Friday, May 14, 2021. 12:42 pm CST.

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: The Minister of Agriculture, Fооd Ѕесurіtу, аnd Еntеrрrіѕе (MAFSE) Јоѕе Аbеlаrdо Mai started the day at a carrot farm in San Carlos.

The San Carlos carrot farm owned by New River Farmers Cooperative grows carrots, corn, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, habanero.

Farmer Cristino Perez and his sons Lucio and Ruben said they are testing six varieties of carrots to find out which is more suitable to grow here.

Carrots have to be harvested within 90 to 95 days otherwise they start growing roots and the vegetable gets hard they explained. Flavor and temperature also affects the quality. They are also fighting a fungus that affects the product.

Habanero peppers are grown here and sent to a factory in Chunox which processes it into Chilly Willy sauce for export.

New River Farmers Cooperative Secretary of Max Hernandez welcomed everyone to the carrot and potato farm.

“Thirteen years they never saw a minister of Agriculture and in six months Minister Mai is here and we feel like family,” Hernandez said.

Minister Mai said after his studies, where he really learned about farming was at San Carlos.

“I learnt to be a extension officer here,” Mai said. “We’ve visited the whole country, Corozal and Orange Walk are the last, but you leave the best for last.”

“Max has said it, you learn on the field. You cannot know what’s happening, what’s working, what the problems are if you don’t go out to the field,” the minister said. “That helps us to make the right decisions.”

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