BELIZE PRIVATE PRODUCERS REACT TO TRANSFORMATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GURU ADVICE TO BELIZE GOVERNMENT!

TRANSFORMATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GURU BRINGS BACK OLD COMPLAINTS WITH GOVERNMENT LACK OF SUPPORT FOR PRODUCER START UPS.

ONE ISSUE for government and bureaucrats to ponder in the quest for TRANSFORMATIONAL POLICIES to develop the exports of Belize. The issue raised by the PRIVATE SECTOR is lack of support for start ups, in protecting the start up local producers from competition with exports. Orlando Harrison in the business of food processing for local and export raises this question AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN.

THE HISTORY OF FAILED ATTEMPTS can at least partially and in most cases are more than 50% of the problem is the lack of the transformational development ability to protect domestic start up production from imports. Whatever the bureaucrats are doing, they are doing it lackadaisical, incompetently, or deliberately through preferred favors to import merchants. If the CABINET are going to get involved and if the merchant importers are not paying out for campaigning elections, then if we are going to develop Belize, the bureaucratic system has to improve at least 700% over what it is performing right now in this particular individual problem. SEMINARS! OVERSIGHT! etc. are needed.
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From Orlando Harrison food processor and marketing person in Western Belize.

FYI there are a couple other plastic bottle manufacturers operating in the country now. The one thing though; their prices are not competitive and have limited design options.

Not sure but I faintly remember back in the 60's there exist a canning facility right here in San Ignacio. The then owner of Golden Orange use to can orange juice I think his name was Dulberg or something like that. Also, I was told the Awe's used to can many vegetables and fruits, again right here in Cayo. Tomatoe's, jalapenios, are the ones that come to mind. Even coffee was being harvested here some time back then as my family, the Lisbey's, personally was engaged in this activity at there farm in San Felipe up the Macal River.

There are small scale equipment available but the million dollar question remains, the egg or the chicken. My contention has always been the supply side. Belize as a market is way too small, but can serve as a testing ground to introduce your products while gaining the expertise to handle effectively the export markets, the one thing though is we need the open door policy warding off imports to give way for the local production to take off. In the advent of the make a dollar mentality from the importers, spruced up with big time support from GOB policy and contraband makes this an impediment to development. I agree we need a concerted effort of all to pave the way and make it happen for Belize!!!

Orlando