On February 24th we told you about the surprise opening of the Eco
Green’s Xate packaging factory in Red Bank Village just outside Santa
Elena, Cayo. We say surprise because we thought that the granting of concessions
for Xate extraction in Belize had been discontinued. That was the recommendation
of the OAS after it became apparent that Belize’s effort to regularize
Xate extraction by taxing it – was only enabling Guatemalan Xateros to
legally come into Belize – thus blurring the lines between legal and illegal
extraction and encouraging incursions into Belize. So who is extracting the
Xate for the government-supported Eco-Green’s? That’s what we asked
the Minister of Agriculture today.
Jim McFadzean,
“Our sources tell us there are Guatemalan xateros that are harvesting
xate on behalf of Eco-Green Limited from our own Belizean forests. Is there
any truth to that?”
Hon. Rene Montero, Minister of Agriculture
“I think the question you should be asking me is who is benefiting
from the harvesting of xate. This is a new company, Eco-Green established in
Cayo for the harvesting and packaging and export of Xate to foreign countries
like the USA and Europe. Right now what I know for sure is that they employ
single mothers. Look at the major industries that are bringing in foreign exchange;
banana, citrus, and sugar. Look who is being employed. It is foreign labour.
As far as I am concerned we should be looking at the benefit this new industry
is bringing to the country. It is creating employment and it will generate foreign
exchange and that is something that never used to happen before, it was harvested
illegally by Guatemalans. This company is doing it legally under the supervision
of the Department, under the supervision of the NGOs. We are working together
to ensure that Belize benefits from its own natural resources.
Look at the major benefits that Belizeans will get from this industry in
terms of employment, foreign exchange. As I said earlier 90% or 80% of the xate
used to be harvested and taken across illegally. Now a local company, a local
company owned by Belizeans will be harvesting the xate for the benefit of Belizeans.”
Jim McFadzean,
“At least a significant of the labour force harvesting the xate are Guatemalan
nationals. Do they have permission to harvest xate from our local Belizean forest?”
Hon. Rene Montero,
“Well Jim I am not aware that a major portion of Guatemalans are harvesting
xate then they must have a work permit.”
Critics of state sanctioned Xate extraction would say that unlike Bananas
Xate grows in the wild and abundantly so in protected forest areas while Bananas
grow on farms. Those critics would add that the idea that the chronically under-staffed
and under-resourced forestry department can supervise commercial Xate extraction
is at best an illusion and at worst, delusional.
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