Coconut Farmers Engage in National Industry Development Strategy

Various coconut farmers from across the country stand to benefit from a Coconut Industry Development Strategy & Roadmap stakeholders’ workshop that took place today in Belmopan. Key stakeholders from Belize’s agricultural sector convened a three-year strategy aimed at revitalizing and expanding the nation’s coconut industry. Held under the global One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, the workshop is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), and other stakeholders. The central focus of the session was to review and validate a draft Coconut Industry Development Strategy and Road Map. Participants, including farmers, processors, and policymakers, examined the proposed plan to provide critical feedback, assess its feasibility, and confirm the sequencing of interventions over the 2026-2028 period. Omaira Avila Rostant, the CARDI Representative to Belize, emphasized the importance of the collaborative process. In a statement, she noted that the workshop was essential for aligning the strategy with the practical needs and insights of those on the ground.

When the road map kicks off in 2026, the first year will primarily focus on training farmers, laying the groundwork for subsequent phases aimed at enhancing production, processing, and market access. The finalized Coconut Industry Development Strategy and Road Map is now slated to launch in January 2026 and run through the end of 2028.