Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP Class 13 International Study Tour to Guatemala and Belize - March 4 & 5, 2011

March 4, 2011 - The second last day of our AALP class’s International Study Tour began with a farewell to Chaa Creek and a hello again to Tropic Air. A fantastic day for flying enabled our three planes to take the scenic route from Central Farm to Orange Walk, passing over the famous Routa Maya, a 175 mile, 3 day canoe race through Belize and to loop around a couple more Mayan Temples.


We were greeted at Orange Walk by the Chairman of the Board from the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA), Mr. Alfredo Ortega, directors of the board and newly hired CEO Oscar Alonzo. During a three-hour presentation we learned about the past, present and future of the sugar cane industry of Belize. Some of us were able to draw comparisons with the BSCFA to our Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and the transitions they have had in the past few years. The BSCFA has two main growing and processing regions in northern Belize and represent 6,000 growers, producing a total of 60,000 acres of cane. The average yield of cane in Belize is 15 tons per acre, which is 1.7 tons of raw sugar. The sugar cane industry is based on a fair trade marketing system, believed to be the best option for the growers here in Belize. In Belize 88 to 90% of the cane is marketed through fair trade and the remainder is used locally. The cane contracts are based out of the EU on a 50,000 ton basis which includes a 60$ US premium under the fair trade agreement. The $60 goes directly to the BSCFA to support their health and safety program, cane quality and environmental footprint reduction programs. They are also focusing on a pesticide safety program similar to Ontario and also on better water quality programs. The BSCFA is in the best shape it has been in a long time and they are convinced of a bright, more environmentally friendly and prosperous future. We then had the opportunity to visit a sugar cane field ready for harvest and to taste test the sweet product.

The class then traveled to Belize City and enjoyed a farewell dinner at the Riverside Restaurant. Where we toasted Rambo and Jose and thanked them for all their help and guiding on this two week travelling adventure.

March 5, 2011 - Our tour of Belize city was cut short due to travel restrictions, therefore Saturday morning was a chance for reflecting on our trip and catching a few last rays before heading to the airport for flight numbers 7 and 8.

AALP Class 13 would like to thank everyone involved in putting this trip together and making it and unforgettable and once in a lifetime experience. Thank-You

Gunther Csoff, Henry Lise, Drew Spoelstra – AALP Class 13

Views: 181

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

A Match Made for Success: How Farmer Dollars and Breeder Expertise Can Keep Canada Competitive

Walk into any Prairie coffee shop and you’ll hear two conversations: harvest and uncertainty. Harvest is the here-and-now. Uncertainty is what happens next — especially for wheat. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is signalling a shift away from commercializing field-ready cultivars in the years ahead. That change won’t happen overnight, but it will change who develops, tests and delivers the next Brandon-level winner to your farm. Experts lay out, in plain terms, what’s at stake and what farmers can do to make sure wheat doesn’t just survive the transition — it thrives. Why the Urgency? SeCan’s Western business manager Todd Hyra says the quiet part out loud: “When you think about 75% of the products coming out of one breeding program, the threat of that going away is something to be considered.” He’s talking about AAFC Swift Current’s long track record of top picks. But he quickly adds that the bigger risk isn’t just fewer varieties — it’s losing the backbone of the whole Pra

Saskatchewan Farm Groups Call for Export Sales Reporting System

Saskatchewan farm groups are calling on the federal government to establish a national grain export sales reporting system, a move they say could generate more than $56 million in annual returns for Canadian grain farmers through improved market transparency and decision-making. In a joint release Tuesday, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and SaskCrops said producers here are at a significant information disadvantage compared to competitors in the US and European Union, where export sales reporting systems are already in place. Those systems provide farmers with timely, destination-specific data on grain sales, enabling better market forecasting and pricing decisions, the release said. A study commissioned by the farm groups and undertaken by Winnipeg-based Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. found that closing the information gap, could generate returns of up to $56.6 million annually for Canadian grain farmers. “Enhanced data transparency would impr

Canadians show increased trust in national food system

Almost half of Canadians feel the food system is going in the right directio

15th Annual Maple Leaf Foods' Food Safety Symposium Calls for Renewed Vigilance to Reduce Foodborne Illness from Listeria

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSX: MFI) hosted the 15th annual Food Safety Symposium in Mississauga Ontario on October 21, 2025. The event, titled "How many more wake up calls? Confronting the Listeria threat – reclaiming control before the next crisis," brought together hundreds of food safety professionals to discuss and engage on the alignment and intersection of culture and best practices to control Listeria and foodborne illness.

Farm groups call on Federal Government to create Export Sales Reporting Program

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and SaskCrops (consisting of SaskBarley, SaskOats, SaskOilseeds, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Sask Wheat), call on the Federal Government for the creation of an Export Sales Reporting program, so Canadian farmers have timely access to sales and export data. Canadian farmers currently operate at a significant information disadvantage compared to producers in competing regions such as the U.S. and EU, who have robust reporting and transparency systems. “Our organizations, representing 24,000 Saskatchewan farmers, initiated an independent study by Mercantile Consulting to illustrate how greater access to export sales data could empower farmers with insights for better decision making, influencing market dynamics, pricing structures and the overall competitiveness of Canadian grain farmers,” said Jake Leguee, chair of Sask Wheat’s board of directors. The study suggests that closing the information gap, could generate return

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service