This year, there is a surplus of locally produced rice in Belize - in fact, we might not even be able to consume all of it! And that's why the allegation that rice is being imported - with the involvement of the Belize Marketing And Development Corporation - has caused an uproar in the north.
That's because Uruguayan rice has appeared in retail outlets in Orange Walk - and in the absence of any explanation about where it came from - it has been pinned on the BMDC, formerly known as the Marketing Board.
Six sacks were confiscated from a Chinese Shop in Orange Walk by Customs; it was being sold 17 cents a pound cheaper than the local rice. And there's a particularly insidious report coming from rice producers that Uruguayan rice is being put into Belizean sacks - thus disguising the origin.
For sure, something's up because sales are down all around, and Belizeans are known to consume over a million pounds of rice a month, even in hard times.
And, we're sure they still are, but the local sales don't reflect it.
Well, the BMDC Boss Roque Mai says don't blame him. He today made the media rounds and said that they have no part in distributing or permitting any Uruguayan rice:
Roque Mai, BMDC
"Well as far as I am concern Jules that we have not brought rice from about 2 years ago since the disaster of the hurricane that struck Belize. At this moment there is a false allegation brought against BMDC that a rice product which comes from Uruguay that was allege by a group of producers in the Orange Walk district which is in Blue Creek. Rice farmers are saying that BMDC are the ones that are importing the rice. As far as I am concern Jules there are protocols that we have to go through. We have to go to the supplies control to get a permit, it has to be granted, we have to apply if we want to bring rice in. There are also people in the Indian community who also bring in rice for their personal consumption and those are the Jasmine and the Basmati which BMDC approve of but on minimal basis and also there is the pack rice which is the Rice-O-Roni. We are not allowed to bring in the whole grain rice Jules; we have enough in this country. We have surplus of rice in this country. Why would we have to bring in rice when we have problem right now to market our rice and to sell the rice.
"Remember we are a part of Caricom. There are procedures that we have to go through."
Jules Vasquez
"So you can't freely import Uruguayan rice?"
Roque Mai, BMDC
"No, not even Mexican nor Guatemalan rice."
Jules Vasquez
"You first have to import it from the Caribbean?"
Roque Mai, BMDC
"Yes, for example I would say Guyana."
Jules Vasquez
"So if Uruguayan rice is available in Belize, it was most likely contraband you are saying?"
Roque Mai, BMDC
"That's right, contraband. But where did it come from? That's the question I want to ask myself. I haven't seen any, so I don't know where in Orange Walk it's been seen."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you concern about the presence of contraband rice on the market because we have such overabundance?"
Roque Mai, BMDC
"Of course I am concern because if the other producers are seeing a drastic decline in sales of marketing their product, even us at this side we have problems marketing our produce, so somewhere someone is bringing that in."
The BMDC only imports onions - which turned into a disaster last year. This year, it is being much more conservative in importation, which the last scheduled shipment of Holland onion in mid-December, making way for the local crop which should come in as those imports are finishing.
Email
Print