So, the annual Agriculture and Trade Show will go on as planned at the Show Grounds in Belmopan this weekend. It begins on Friday but the year’s top farmers have already been chosen and announced. The senior farmer of the year is Oscar Figueroa – from La Gracia village in Cayo. The junior farmer is Joel Corado from San Carlos Village and the female farmer is Rosa Ramirez from Maskall. They recently shared their stories with the Government Press Office.

Oscar Figueroa, Senior Farmer
“I started to do farming from when I was 13, from when I came out of primary school I started to do the farming and it is something that I really love to do all the time and that is why I am here. I think that it is something that it won’t give you that much like to get rich, but you get money but it goes back to the pesticides and other stuff. I think it is very good to do farming. I feel very proud to be the senior farmer of the year 2009. You feel good in a way that you are working hard for so many years and somebody comes and recognizes your work, that feels very satisfying.

I just feel I should do this job because it is something very good for Belize too that one day we could depend only from all the local farmers and not from Mexico because supposed something happens over there, disaster- you never know and from where could Belize get its products. If we don’t put that love for the farmers that they are really doing a hard job because it is a very hard job this is. As you get up there is something to do and at night you are still working.”

Joel Corado, Junior Farmer
“I began agriculture at age 15. I am now 6 years in agriculture and my father helps me a lot. Having won the junior farmer of the year I feel very happy. I would like to encourage young people like me to go into farming. It gives a lot of money, you don’t get into trouble and when the harvest comes along you get good money to buy things you want.”

Rosa Ramirez, Female Farmer
“I feel very happy to have been selected woman farmer of the year. That has been the best moment of my life and I would never forget. My advice to others is to encourage them to go into agriculture is to go for it. The most important thing is to start out as you desire. When you have the desire, everything else works out. When I started out, all I had was two buckets, one axe, and one machete and I have no regrets. If I was born again, I would again choose agriculture over anything else in the world.”

The farmers will be formally awarded at the agric opening ceremony. Because of the holiday on Friday, the ceremony this year will be held at the Show Grounds on Saturday morning at 10.