Ministry of Agriculture empowers Corozal farmers through Value-Adding Agro-Processing workshop

By Zoila Palma:  The Agriculture Department in Corozal successfully hosted a comprehensive, one-day value-adding training workshop for 20 local smallholder farmers including women, men, and youth.

The workshop held on August 11, 2026, was a collaborative effort alongside the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agro-Processing Unit (led by Anna Howe and team), the Cooperatives Department (represented by Leonardo Tzib) and the Climate Resilient Agriculture Project (CRESAP, represented by Uziel Vasquez).

Topics included post-harvest losses by equipping rural communities with essential commercial food preservation skills.

Hosted for participants from Sarteneja Village—including the Sarteneja United Farmers group, Sarteneja Farmers, and the Sartenejenas Cooperative—the hands-on training resulted in the successful manufacture of four shelf-stable, high-demand products utilizing seasonal crops:

• Preserved Pineapple
• Carrots-Pineapple Jam
• Pasta Sauce
• Spicy Mango Sauce

This training is part of a broader, systemic effort by the Ministry of Agriculture to empower rural entrepreneurs, diversify income streams for small-scale farmers, and boost the tourism sector with high-quality, locally processed Belizean goods.

“By targeting long-term regional food security and agricultural resilience, the initiative ensures that women and youth are at the forefront of local economic empowerment,” the Ministry expressed.

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