Saturday, November 15, 2008

BELIZE GOVERNMENT FLUBS ALBA TRADE EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES


ALBA TRADE WITH VENEZUELA STILL STAGNANT BECAUSE OF BELIZE GOVERNMENT LACK OF INTEREST

I'm still waiting for the Minister of Agriculture, Rene Montero, ( photo to left ) to call a seminar, or conference with the Venezuelan Embassador, the Chief of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, BELTRAIDE head, Reimer of Spanish Lookout or other interested parties including myself, Port Authority and Marketing Board head. Plus media reps to observe. To discuss opening this government to government ALBA TRADE with Venezuela. If I wanted to ship 10,000 bottles of Marie Sharps Hot Sauce for instance, who pays and how and when? How do the mechanics of a barter system for oil work? How does the private sector build up processed goods for export to ALBA and get the money up front, to grease the wheels of transportation and bureacracy?

Nobody in the UDP CABINET seem to have a clue how to organize this thing. I would put my money on Edmund Castro to be the most leadership and innovative cabinet person for this. But he lacks the organizational smarts, to crack the bullwhip and get the bureaucratic system organized and working. Rightfully it is Rene Montero's job to do this, but obviously he is not going to do anything as he lacks the ambition and drive.

--- On Fri, 11/14/08, Wendy Auxillou <wendy_auxillou@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Wendy Auxillou
Subject: Bz-Culture: FW: Release-Mexico-Belize meeting to enhance agricultural trade
To: bz-culture@psg.com, belize@lists.belizeculture.com
Date: Friday, November 14, 2008, 12:51 PM


EMBAJADA DE MÉXICO EN BELICE

P R E S S R E L E A S E

No. 50

MEXICO-BELIZE MEETING

TO ENHANCE AGRICULTURAL TRADE

Belmopan, 13 November 2008.- The Embassy of Mexico informs that on 12 November 2008, a meeting was held in Chetumal, Mexico, between Belizean officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Belize Livestock Producers Association, as well as Mexican officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food of Mexico (SAGARPA) and the Embassy of Mexico to Belize.

The purpose of the event was to explain in detail the sanitary and phytosanitary procedure and regulations that need to be met for the entry of animal, vegetable and fish products into Mexico. The Mexican requirements on imports are the same as those established by international organizations and which Mexican products need to comply with in order to export to other countries.

Mexican officials highlighted that Belizean livestock and other agricultural products have high probabilities of being exported to the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, where most of the local demand is supplied by products from Northern Mexico and from third countries. In this regard, exports of Belizean products to Mexico should fulfill two basic requirements. The first is that Mexican and Belizean agricultural health authorities need to be recognized by each other. The second one is to set a risk map which would allow a reciprocal recognition of disease-free areas.

The Government of Belize agreed to formally submit a request before SAGARPA in order to register BAHA as the official agricultural health authority of Belize. Both countries also agreed to meeting again in Belize on February 2009.

The meeting was led by Mr. Arturo Bolaños, SAGARPA’s representative to Quintana Roo, Mexico, and from Belize, Dr. Victor Gongora, Animal Health officer of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA). Participants at the meeting included Ambassador of Mexico to Belize, Luis Manuel Lopez-Moreno, and Ambassador Adalbert Tucker, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize.

________________________

EMBAJADA DE MÉXICO EN BELICE

C O M U N I C A D O D E P R E N S A

No comments: