Whenever it comes up the issue of Xate is always a troubling one. That’s
because most times, the stories are about illegal harvesting of the ornamental
leaf in Belize’s jungles by Guatemalans. Recently, the Government of Belize
had agreed to issue a number of licenses but those also proved problematic because
they provided Guatemalan harvesters to extract Xate with a license, and in so
doing muddied the waters for authorities who could no longer make an easy differentiation
between legitimate and illegitimate operators.
According to Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala Fred Martinez,
it was frowned upon by the OAS and he told us that the Government of Belize
had put a stop on all Xate concessions. And that’s why today we were taken
off guard when the Government Press Office sent video of a fully outfitted Xate
operation in western Belize. It’s called Eco-Green a subsidiary of a Miami
based company that specializes in this. The processing factory is just outside
Cayo and they had an official opening today – except that we weren’t
invited to ask the tough questions – like who’s going to be harvesting
the Xate? Specifically, are Guatemalans going to be harvesting it in Belize’s
jungles?
That’s a worrying prospect – but a question for which we
have no answers – as the Minister and the investor soft shoed through
their interview with the Government Press Office.
Hon. Rene Montero, Minister of Agriculture
“Eco-Greens Company Limited will be involved strictly in the harvesting, 
packaging and the export of Xate leaves to the US and Europe. It is very important
for this area, Cayo Central which I represent, and also to Belize. It has the
potential of becoming a major foreign exchange earner and most importantly it
will create jobs especially women, about 75% of the workers will be women. Right
now we have 70 people employed, about 40 doing the harvesting and about 30 people
here doing the packaging and selecting.
Government will be collecting revenue in terms of the royalty being paid
to government and because previously 90% of the xate was being harvested illegally
and taken over to our neighbouring countries. But now Belize will benefit from
this vital natural resource that we have here. We will be able to harvest it
and we the Belizeans will be able to benefit from it.”
Representative, Eco-Green
“We have been involved in this business in Guatemala and in Mexico
for 31 years and we got involved with Belice because we found out that Belice
had the product also and so now we are involved in Belice. Our job is to take
the product from here, take it to the United States, repackage it to different
customers in the United States and Europe.
This product is a very interesting product because it is product that is
100% organic. It is a product that it is not only a product that is very interesting
and needed in the floral industry but it is also a product that is 100% natural.”
We note that the Minister spoke of employment for a hundred while the
investor spoke about employment for one thousand. The company is named Eco-Green.
7NEWS
produced for broadcast by News Director Jules
Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith
Swift
Email
Print