News Releases

Jul 14, 1999

IDB approves $3.6 million to improve agricultural health services in Belize

The Inter-American Development Bank today announced a $3.6 million loan to Belize to help improve the quality of animal and plant health services and enhance the competitiveness of the country´s agricultural products, especially in foreign markets.

The project will contribute to the ability of the agricultural sector to adhere to standards of quality control and certification as required by rules of the World Trade Organization.

It will consolidate agricultural health services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Cooperatives* into one independent organization, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, with significant private sector participation in management and oversight.

Animal and plant health services will be upgraded through the rehabilitation of offices, laboratories and a screen house and entomology facility, the training of local staff and the strengthening of surveillance systems. Also, the capacity to carry out monitoring and eradication campaigns and agricultural inspections will be enhanced, while three new border and port control points will be established and facilities at six other control points will be rehabilitated.

A soils laboratory will be rehabilitated and leased to a nonprofit private sector users group.

The total cost of the program is $4.8 million.

The IDB loan is for a 25-year term, with a five-year grace period, at the variable interest rate, now 6.98 percent. Local counterpart funds total $1.2 million.