Toledo rice farmers have been complaining that the Belize Marketing and Development Corporation (BMBC) failed last week to pay the mechanized farmers the other half of their rice payment, as they had been promised, and they have not gotten any definitive word on when they will received their payments.
Gerald Bardalez, manager of the Toledo arm of BMDC, said that the head office in Belize City had indicated to them that they would transfer some funds to them today, Monday, so farmers may begin to get their payments late Monday or Tuesday.
According to Bardalez, 69 mechanized farmers are owed roughly $400,000. He told us that payments have been late because of slow sales. He said that BMDC has to pay farmers even before all their rice sells, and sometimes they have to source financing from the banks to pay farmers.
Rice, he said, is normally planted late May and harvested between September and November. The rice is taken to the BMDC for processing and storage, and then for distribution to the local buyers. Belize does not export Toledo rice.
According to Bardalez, they are still milling some rice and trying to sell what is in stock.
Toledo farmers supply 6 million pounds in an average year, while the Mennonites produce 20 to 30 million pounds.
Bardalez said that the milpa farmers, who number about 600, have already been paid for their rice.