Agriculture Minister Jose Mai says he returned from Palenque Mexico by road last night - after an 8 hour drive. But, after getting a solid, on the record commitment from Mexico's Minister of Agriculture to buy all of Belize's cattle "no matta what" - we'd guess they could have brought him home on horseback and he would still be grinning.
Int he era of new world screwworm - a commitment like that is worth million of dollars to Belize Livestock Producers - and Mai should know since he is also a cattleman.
Today back in Orange Walk South he discussed the breakthrough commitment:
Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture
"And they said to us that if we were to find a case of screw worm in Belize we would be unable to export cattle to Mexico. That left us in a very nervous position because there are thousands, millions of dollars being invested in the cattle industry because of that market and to not being able to export then everybody was skeptical and were already in doubt, should I invest, should I not."
"Well, we are fortunate that Belize and Salvador up to yesterday were still free of screw worm. Every Central American country has screw worm, including Mexico. So the US has stopped export of cattle from Mexico to the US."
"Mexico has stopped the flow of cattle from Guatemala to Mexico. Mexico has stopped also from Nicaragua, from Honduras. So the only cattle going into Mexico right now legally is from Belize. And so Mexico realizes that we have done a wonderful job at preventing screw worm from coming to the country."
"Up to last night we were only Belize and Salvador. That may change very, very shortly, but the risk that we may have it is slim because we don't import cattle. Again, where the only country that doesn't import cattle on the hoof."
"They said they want Belize to sell them every single cow legally. And so there's a voicemail that he recorded that you can share this message to the farmers and Belize that Mexico wants to buy every single head of cattle that Belize has legally and wants to meet the protocols, which are doable."
"The protocols are very, very doable. And I was very satisfied with that."
Voice of: Dr. Julio Berdegue, Mexico's Minister of Agriculture
"Mexico is interested in importing from Belize every single head of cattle that is legally exported from Belize to Mexico. And that complies with the technical protocols to ensure the sanitary standards."
"Everything that you can send us, we will receive it very gladly."
Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture
"Even if we have screw worms, the protocols will change, but they are practical protocols that are easy to achieve. They are not expensive. They are not complicated. They are simple, but very, very practical. And it will allow them to ensure that our cattle is going screw worm free."
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