Ministry of Agriculture, BAHA meet onion producers, remind wholesaler & retailers not to buy contraband onions

Published by BBNTEAM at April 11, 2023

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Posted: Tuesday, April 11, 2023. 11:22 am CST.

Bomba United Farmers Cooperative loading onions (Photo Credit: Bomba United Farmers Cooperative)

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE) held its second onion producers meeting with the Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA) and onion contact farmers on Wednesday, April 5.

“The main purpose of the meeting was to update farmers on total onion yields harvested, total acreage pending to be harvested and the issue of contraband,” MAFSE said in a statement on social media on Good Friday.

“The MAFSE reminds vegetable wholesalers and retailers not to buy contraband onions.”

Onion farmers meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE) and the Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA) on Wednesday, April 5. (Photo Credit: MAFSE)

According to MAFSE, Belizean farmers have been hard at work producing onions and are even doing experimental plating to identify the best varieties of onions suitable for Belize as is evidenced by the program being carried out by the Bomba United Farmers Cooperative.

The Bomba cooperative will showcase 25 onion varieties at Onion Field Day on Wednesday, April 19, in Bomba in the Belize District.

Bomba United Farmers Cooperative chairman Reynaldo Orellana said the cooperative farmers have been cultivating onions over the last 18 years and have been planting ten different varieties. Last December, they planted 15 other varieties brought in by seed suppliers for them to conduct the onion experiment.

“We are doing research so that the farmers know which varieties are better and what varieties of seeds to buy,” Orellana said, pointing out that not all varieties of onions work at sea level.

Orellana said during the April 19 Onion Field Day members of Bomba United Farmers Cooperative and the seed importers will make presentations on the different varieties and the cultivation factors that should be taken into consideration such as plant management and soil analysis.

“Out of the 25 approximately 22 varieties can be recommended in this country,” Orellana said, adding that he is satisfied with the experiment.

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