BSIF and Ministry of Agriculture Hand Over Vehicles to Strengthen Farmer Support Services

The Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries have handed over vehicles to key institutions involved in research, data collection, and farmer support services.  The vehicles were officially handed over on Tuesday under the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP).  One of the vehicles was presented to the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute, SIRDI, to bolster its capacity to conduct fieldwork, crop monitoring, farmer training, and other extension services for sugar cane farmers, particularly in the northern districts. Officials say the additional transportation will allow the institute to provide more timely technical assistance while supporting sustainable agricultural practices and improved pest management.  Another vehicle was handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Policy and Private Public Sector Interface Unit. The vehicle is expected to improve the unit’s ability to gather and analyze agricultural data, support evidence-based decision-making, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation efforts under the CRESAP program.  The handover ceremony was attended by Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of State in the Ministry of Economic Transformation Osmond Martinez, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Pol, representatives from BSIF, and officials from SIRDI and CRESAP.  According to project officials, the vehicle presented to SIRDI is one of five vehicles being distributed under the initiative as part of a broader effort to strengthen the capacity of public institutions that support Belize’s agricultural sector