In that interview with the Allen Reimer, it was also revealed that the local cattle industry is also at risk. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the informal cross-border trade of cattle between Belize's farmers, Guatemala, and Mexico to be put on an indefinite hiatus. Now this trade was "through the back" so to speak, but it was well established and flourishing. And now, it's stopped and causing another crisis:
Here's what Reimer had to say about that:
Allen Reimer - Chairman, Quality Poultry
"The records show that Belize only consumes about 33% of the production in cattle. That's over the last couple of years. 60-70% of the cattle are being moved out, mostly to Guatemala, and some to Mexico. And then, with that backdoor being closed, as it is, as we speak, the pressure on the beef is increasing rapidly. We're coming out of a very dry year that we had last year. We had some rain, but we're heading into another dry season as we speak. There is no more grazing. There is no feed available, and whatever feed there is, it is at a very high cost. So, the farmers are at a very grim crossroads, deciding what to do next with their cattle. Do we move it cheap? Or do we buy expensive feed to keep it a little longer in hopes that the prices will increase? But, indeed, if we cannot move cattle out, we will be in a dire situation very soon."
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